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REMINISCENCES 

OF  A  MISSISSIPPIAN   IN 

PEACE  AND  WAR 


BY 
FRANK  A.   MONTGOMERY 

Lieutenant-Colonel  First  Mississippi  Cavalry,  Armstrong's 

Mississippi  Brigade;  Member  of  Legislature,  1880,  1882,1884,  189 

and  one  term  Judge  of  Fourth  Circuit  Court  District  of  Mi6s. 


>* 


CINCINNATI 

THE   ROBERT   CLARKE   COMPANY  PRESS 

1901 


/  fc 


THE  LIBRARY 

TWg  UNIVERSITY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


' 


Copyright,  1901,  by 
FRANK  A.  MONTGOMERY 


Press  of  The  Robert  Clarke  Co. 
Cincinnati,  O.,  U.  S.  A. 


Dedication 

To  my  surviving  comrades  of 

Armstrong's  Old  Mississippi  Cavalry  Brigade 

and  to  the  memory  of  its  gallant  dead 

I  dedicate  this  book 


HTMT> 


PREFACE. 


Most  people  who  read  books  look  first  at  the  Preface  to 
see  what  the  author  has  to  say  about  himself  or  about  his 
book,  and  often  this  contains  an  excuse  for  writing  it. 
I  have  no  excuse  to  offer  for  what  I  have  written,  and 
since  the  book  itself  is  an  autobiography  will  here  say 
nothing  about  myself;  but  I  think  it  proper  to  give  some 
of  the  reasons  which  have  induced  me  at  this  late  day  to 
become  an  author. 

It  has  been  my  fortune  to  have  lived  for  seventy  years 
in  my  native  state,  Mississippi,  and  until  within  the  last 
few  months  to  have  led  an  active  life  from  boyhood  to 
my  present  age,  never  without  some  occupation  which 
was  congenial  to  me.  But  time  which  has  brought  me 
age  has  also  brought  me  leisure,  and  I  have  availed  my- 
self of  it  to  write  my  recollections  of  so  much  of  the  war 
between  the  states  in  which  my  own  immediate  cavalry 
command  took  part.  In  the  following  pages,  however, 
I  have  not  confined  myself  to  this,  but  have  allowed  my 
memory  to  carry  me  back  to  the  days  when  I  was  a 
young  man,  and  to  speak  of  Mississippi  life  as  it  then 
was.  So  also  I  have  dwelt  upon  the  reconstruction  era 
in  the  state  and  brought  my  memoirs  down  to  the 
present  time,  with,  however,  only  a  passing  reference  to 

the  civil  offices  I  have  held. 

(vii) 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

So  far  as  the  war  is  concerned  I  have  felt  it  almost  a 
duty,  it  certainly  has  been  a  pleasure,  to  recall  the  in- 
cidents of  that  stirring  time  and  to  rescue  from  oblivion, 
as  far  as  I  can,  the  names  and  deeds  of  some  Mississippi 
soldiers,  and  commands,  to  whom  history  in  the  state  has 
done  but  scant  justice. 

If  I  have  succeeded  in  this,  if  I  have  contributed,  in 
ever  so  slight  a  degree,  to  the  history  of  the  state  or  of 
the  war,  I  will  be  amply  repaid  for  the  work  I  have  done. 

Frank  A.  Montgomery. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Introduction — Birth  place — Old  Natchez  trace — Lost  villages  of 
seventy  years  ago — Territory  of  Mississippi — Ancestors — Coun- 
try school— Oakland  College — Its  president — His  lecture  one 
day — Political  speech  of  Dr.  Duncan,  of  Ohio— Whig  party — 
Excitement  in  Mississippi  in  185 1 — Senators  Jefferson  Davis 
and  Henry  S.  Foote — Speeches  by  them — Tragic  death  of  Dr. 
Chamberlain — Fate  of  Oakland  College I 

CHAPTER  n. 
Mexican  war — Jefferson  troop — General  Thomas  Hinds — Natchez 
fencibles,  Captain  Clay — Vicksburg — Mustering  officer,  Gen- 
eral Duffield — Company  rejected — Trip  to  Jackson — Governor 
Brown — General  McMackin — Alleghany  College,  Meadville, 
Pennsylvania — Concert — Escaped  slave — Copper  cents — Skat- 
ing, sleigh  riding  —  Militia  muster — Home  again  —  Cotton 
planter  of  those  days — The  negro  as  he  then  was — As  he  is 
now 12 

CHAPTER  III. 

Railroads — Shinplasters — Customs  of  the  times — Barbecues — Camp 

meetings — Militia    drills — Shooting    matches — Music    of    the 

times — The  preacher  and  the  robber — Indians — S.  S.  Prentiss — 

Dueling 22 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Marriage — Move  to  Bolivar  county — Old  town  of  Napoleon — The 
hunter — Money — State  banks — Overflows  and  levees — Battle  of 
Armageddon — John  Brown's  raid — Effect  on  the  south — Elec- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln   29 

(ix; 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 
Excitement — Elections  before  the  war— Formation  of  companies — 
Bolivar  troop — Secession  of  the  state — Mississippi  a  nation — 
Army  and  custom  houses — General  Charles  Clark — Anec- 
dote      37 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Trip  to  New  Orleans — Company  in  camp — An  old  soldier's  popu- 
larity and  final  fate — Take  company  to  Memphis — Roster  of 
company — General  Pillow — General  William  T.  Martin — An- 
ecdote— Whether  negro  or  white  man — Life  depended  on  the 
question — Ordered  to  Union  City 44 

CHAPTER  VII. 
General  Frank  Cheatham — First  Mississippi  Cavalry  Battalion, 
Major  Miller — General  Cheatham's  staff — Battle  of  Manassas, 
war  over — Occupation  of  New  Madrid— Brigadier-General  M. 
Jeff.  Thompson,  Missouri  State  Guard — His  army — Evacuate 
New  Madrid — Return  next  day — Scout  to  Charleston — Lose  a 
man,  captured — Great  excitement  at  home  over  this — Hick- 
man, Kentucky — Gunboats — Captain  Marsh  Miller  and  the 
Grampus — Columbus,  battalion  increased .53 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Gunboats  and  Grampus — Ordered  with  squadron  to  Belmont — 
Colonel  Tappan  in  command — Watson's  Battery — Old  college 
mate — Dashing  poker  player  of  old  times,  one  of  the  Wat- 
sons— Scouting — First  fight — Federal  sergeant  killed — Leave 
of  absence,  battle  of  Belmont — Winter  quarters — State  troops 
under  General  Alcorn — New  orderly  sergeant — Old  acquaint- 
ance from  California — Runaway  negroes — Detailed  on  recruit- 
ing service — Battle  of  Shiloh — Battalion  increased  to  regi- 
ment— Colonel  Lindsay  in  command — His  habits — army  falls 
back  to  Tupelo 63 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Reorganization   of   regiment — Report  to    General  Villipigue — Or- 
dered   to    Senatobia — Jeff.     Thompson    again His    Indian 

army — Mrs.  M.  C.  Galloway,  of  Memphis — Ordered  to  Bolivar 


CONTENTS.  XI 

county — Captain  Herrin  Reports  to  me— Fights  with  General 
Hovey  in  Coahoma  county — Congressman  Hal.  Chambers  — 
His  duel  with  Mr.  Lake— Fight  at  Driscoll's  gin  — Rejoin  regi- 
ment       74 

CHAPTER  X. 
Brigaded  with  Colonel  W.  H.  Jackson,  Tennessee  cavalry — Briga- 
dier-General Frank  C.  Armstrong — Raid  into  Tennessee — Fight 
near  Bolivar — Death  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hogg,  of  Federal 
cavalry,  his  gallant  charge — Attack  Medon,  repulsed — Battle 
of  Denmark  or  Brittain's  Lane — Severe  loss — Captain  Beall's 
presentiment  and  death — Gallant  charge  of  Colonel  Wirt  Ad- 
ams—His unfortunate  fate  after  the  war — Back  in  Mississippi — 
Move  towards  Corinth — Rout  Federal  cavalry'  at  Hatchie 
river — Colonel  Pinson  wounded — General  Van  Dorn's  advance 
on  Corinth — Battle  of  Corinth — Raid  around  Corinth — Narrow 
escape — Van  Dorn's  retreat — In  the  rear — Back  to  Ripley.     S4 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Army  at  Holly  Springs — General  Pemberton — Fight  with  Grierson 
in  Coldwater  Bottom — Two  nameless  heroes  —  Old  Lamar, 
enemy  advances — Evacuation  of  Holly  Springs — Report  to 
General  Pemberton  at  Jackson— General  Gregg  of  Texas — 
Trouble  with  General  Jackson — Correspondence  with  General 
Pemberton  and  secretary  of  war — Grenada,  court  martial — 
Charges  preferred  by  General  Jackson — Acquitted  and  ordered 
back  to  the  regiment — President  Davis  reviews  army  at 
Grenada 96 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Columbia,  Tennessee— General  Forrest — Van  Dorn — Sick  leave — 
Faithful  servant  Jake  Jones — Cross  delta  in  dug  out — Metho- 
dist preacher  and  his  wife — Lost  for  day  and  night — Home — 
"Featherbeds" — Anecdotes — Fight  of  "Featherbeds"  at  my 
place — Houses  all  burned  by  Federals — Privations  of  the 
people — Return  to  army — Incidentals  of  trip — Rejoin  regi- 
ment at  Mechanicsburg in 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
General    Cosby — Skirmishing — Letter    to   wife — Son    of    General 
Thomas  Hinds — Letter   to   wife   4th   of    July.    1863 — General 


xii  CONTENTS. 

Joseph  E.  Johnston,  move  to  relieve  Vicksburg — Brigade  or- 
dered forward  to  the  attack — Surrender  of  Pemberton— Fall 
back  on  Jackson — Confederacy  cut  asunder — How  General 
Dick  Taylor  crossed  river — Effect  of  fall  of  Vicksburg — Pem- 
berton blamed  severely — Loyalty  doubted — Siege  of  Jackson — 
Evacuation  of  Jackson — Judge  Sharkey— "Camp  near  Bran- 
don"— Letters  to  my  wife— Captain  Herrin's  dash  at  Federals 
— Captain  Herrin  captures  foraging  party — Lightning  kills 
man  in  camp — Scout  into  Jefferson  county,  General  Clark — 
"Count  Wallace" 122 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Camp  near  Lexington — Colonel  Ross'  Texas  regiment — Camp  near 
Richland — General  Reuben  Davis,  candidate  for  governor — 
Anecdote — New  issue  and  old  issue,  Confederate  money — As- 
sault on  sutler's  tent — Letter  to  my  wife — Presentation  of  flag 
— Ross'  Texas  and  First  Mississippi  regiments  move  to  Ten- 
nessee valley — General  Sherman  advancing  through  valley  to 
Chattanooga — Fights  in  the  valley — Adjutant  Beasly  killed — 
Ordered  back  to  Mississippi — General  Stephen  D.  Lee  in  com- 
mand —  Night  march  after  Federals,  skirmish  —  Battle  at 
Wolfe  river  near  Moscow — Severe  loss  in  regiment  and  by 
Federals 135 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Opening  of  the  year  1864 — Gloomy  prospects — General  Sherman's 
march  through  Mississippi — Skirmish  on  Joe  Davis'  place — 
Sharp  Skirmish  at  Clinton — Jackson,  driven  through  place — 
Enter  Meridian — Ordered  to  reinforce  Forrest — Forrest  victo- 
rious, and  ordered  back  to  follow  Sherman — Fight  near 
Sharon — Scout  toward  Canton,  capture  foraging  party  with 
wagons — Another  fight  on  road  from  Sharon,  with  loss — In 
camp  near  Benton — Colonel  George  Moorman — Colonel  Pinson 
goes  home  and  marries — Ordered  to  Georgia — General  Frank 
C.  Armstrong  in  command  of  brigade — Letter  from  him . .   148 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
March  to  Georgia — Campaign  in  Georgia — Join  General  Johnston 
at  Adairsville,  engaged  at  once — Letter  to  my  wife  from  Car- 
tersville — Constant  fighting— General  Johnston's  battle  order, 


CONTENTS.      *  Xlll 

enthusiasm  of  troops — Cross  the  Etowah,  brigade  in  rear — 
Fight  at  creek — Soldier's  dream — Battle  of  Dallas,  assault  Fed- 
eral intrenchments— Repulsed  with  severe  loss  in  regiment  and 
brigade — Letter  to  my  wife  describing  the  battle 160 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Lost  Mountain,  constant  fightiug — General  Polk  killed,  regret  at 
his  death — Armstrong's  scout  to  the  rear,  destroys  railroad 
and  captures  prisoners — Returns  to  army  and  orders  me  to  re- 
main twenty-four  hours  in  his  rear — Escape  without  loss — 
Mississippi  lady  refugee  refuses  forage — Compelled  to  take  it 
— Back  to  camp — Cross  Chattahooche  river,  and  ordered  to 
intercept  cavalry  raid  near  Newnan — General  Johnston  re- 
lieved, and  General  Hood  in  command — Regret,  almost  de- 
spair, in  the  army — General  Dick  Taylor's  account  of  trouble 
between  Mr.  Dans  and  General  Johnston — Brigade  ordered  to 
Atlanta,  regiment  ordered  to  battle-ground  of  22d  of  July.   175 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Want  of  confidence  in  General  Hood — His  opinion  of  the  infantry 
of  his  army — His  opinion  of  his  cavalry — Fearful  sights  on 
battle-ground  of  22d  July — Skirmishes  in  cornfield — Ordered 
back  to  left  of  army,  rejoin  Armstrong — Enemy  advances  on 
Lick  Skillet  road — Ordered  with  part  of  regiment  to  extreme 
left — Attack  on  my  command — Driven  back — Advance  of  Gen- 
eral Lee's  corps — Battle  of  28th  of  July — Severe  loss — Federal 
raids  to  our  rear — Fight  with  Killpatrick — Back  to  left  of 
army — General  Sherman's  move  to  our  left — Constant  fighting, 
fall  back  to  Jonesboro — Occupy  trenches,  first  assault  of 
enemy  repulsed — Loss  of  Jonesboro  and  evacuation  of  At- 
lanta     188 

CHAPPER  XIX. 
Some  reflections  on  loss  of  Atlanta — President  Davis  visits  camp — 
Ordered  by  General  Jackson  to  take  command  disabled  horses 
and  men — Ordered  to  reinforce  General  Tyler  at  West  Point — 
Orders  and  letter  from  General  Jackson — Ordered  to  Mississippi 
with  my  command — Incidents  of  the  march — Sick  in  hospital 
and  leave  of  absence — At  home  again — Met  a  gold  bug  on  the 
road 201 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Rejoin  army  at  Tupelo — Disastrous  condition  as  seen  by  General 
Taylor — Brigade  furloughed  two  weeks — A  young  recruit  to 
Bolivar  troop  from  New  York,  but  native  of  Alabama,  Henry 
Elliot — Reorganization  of  cavalry  at  Columbus — Appointed  on 
examining  board — Legislature  in  session — Speeches  by  prom- 
inent men — General  Forrest — General  Taylor's  opinion  of 
him — Military  execution— Ordered  towards  Selma 220 

CHAPTER  XXI 
Last  letter  to  my  wife,  very  gloomy — Cross  Warrior  river,  move  to 
Marion — New  York  recruit  sees  his  aunt — Thrown  in  Wilson's 
front  —  Night  march,  fall  back  on  Selma — Enemy  attack 
Selma — How  General  Taylor  escaped — Description  of  battle — 
Regiment  nearly  all  killed,  wounded  or  captured — Brave  Fed- 
eral sergeant  saves  my  life — Took  my  pistol  and  hat,  but  didn't 
want  Confederate  money — Sorrowful  night — Federal  band 
plays  "Dixie,"  insult  to  injury 233 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Walk  over  battle-field  under  guard — Dead  and  wounded — Henry 
Elliott,  tribute  to  him — Adjutant  Johnson  mortally  wounded — 
Put  in  stockade — Kind  treatment  by  Federal  officers  and  men — 
March  to  Columbus,  Georgia — Lieutenant-Colonel  White,  of 
Indiana — Conversation  with  him — Colonel  Pinson  and  myself 
paroled  at  Columbus — Make  our  way  back  to  Mississippi — 
The  war  over — Death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  sorrow  at  the  South — 
Meridian,  Ragsdale  House,  cost  of  coffee  at  meals — Trip  home 
and  incidents — Home  again,  negroes  free — Doubts  as  to  future 
— Determined  to  stand  by  the  state  to  the  end 247 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Changed  condition — President  Johnson's  plan  of  reconstruction — 
Negroes,  old  Uncle  Hector — Negro  problem  always  serious — 
General  Alcorn's  opinion  of  right  policy — Reconstruction  un- 
der act  of  congress — Negroes  voting — Convention,  carpet 
baggers  and  scallawa^s— Our  new  clerk.  Florey — Negroes  on 
juries 262 


CONTENTS.  XV 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Civil  government  under  carpet-baggers — Visit  to  Jackson — Legisla- 
ture of  1S70 — Governor  Alcorn  tempted  by  seat  in  senate 
— Judges,  jury  trial,  and  negroes  as  jurors — General  Starke, 
sheriff  of  Bolivar — B.  K.  Bruce — His  manners  and  conservatism 
— Campaign  of  1S73 — Alcorn  and  the  chancellor — Correspond- 
ence with  Governor  Alcorn — Campaign  of  1S75 — Rout  of  car- 
pet-baggers by  tax-payers 274 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Campaign  of  1S76 — John  R.  Lynch — Twenty  negro  laws,  his  anec- 
dote— Elected  to  legislature — Commissioner  to  Washington 
City  in  1SS2  and  1SS4  in  interest  of  levees — Captain  Eads — 
Congressman  Jones  from  Kentucky — Funeral  of  Mr.  Davis  in 
New  Orleans — Elected  to  legislature  from  Coahoma  county — 
Appointed  circuit  judge— Moral  influence  of  the  bar — Golden 
wedding  tributes — Conclusion — The  Star  of  Mississippi. . .   291 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Lieut. -Col.  Frank  A.  Montgomery  (age  70),  Frontispiece 
Lieut. -Col.  Frank  A.  Montgomery  (age  31),  facing  p.  44 
Col.  R.  A.  Pinson,         ....  "  75 

Frank  C.  Armstrong,-         .          .         .         .  "         157 


REMINISCENCES    OF  A    MISSISSIPPIAN   IN 
PEACE  AND  WAR. 


CHAPTER  I.. 

Introduction — Birth  place — Old  Natchez  trace — Lost  villages  of 
seventy  years  ago — Territory  of  Mississippi — Ancestors — Coun- 
try school — Oakland  College — Its  president — His  lecture  one 
day — Political  speech  of  Dr.  Duncan,  of  Ohio — Whig  party — 
Excitement  in  Mississippi  in  1S51 — Senators  Jefferson  Davis 
and  Henry  S.  Foote— Speeches  by  them — Tragic  death  of  Dr. 
Chamberlain — Fate  of  Oakland  College. 

For  some  years  past  I  have  purposed  if  I  lived  to  the 
age  of  seventy  to  write  the  story  of  my  life.  That  time 
has  now  come,  and  I  have  the  leisure  for  the  first  time 
in  my  life  since  I  have  been  grown,  for,  though  active 
and  vigorous  still  and  capable  of  work  congenial  to  me, 
I  have  nothing  to  do  except  to  amuse  myself  with  my 
pen. 

I  have  lived  through  the  greatest  part  of  the  most 
eventful  century  in  the  world's  history,  and  while  I  have 
filled  no  great  place  in  the  history  which  I,  in  common 
with  all  other  men  living  during  this  time,  have  helped  to 
make,  yet  my  story  may  not  prove  uninteresting  to  those 
who  read  it,  and  it  will  at  least  serve  while  I  am  writing 
it  to  recall  the  past,  the  friends  I  have  known,  the 
pleasures  of  my  youth,  the  stirring  events  of  my  man- 
hood, till  age  has  now  come  to  warn  me  that  my  time  is 
short,  and  that  what  I  do  I  must  do  quickly. 

Though  not  a  great  man  in  the  events  I  record,  yet 
(1) 


2  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

what  I  did  and  what  I  saw  I  can  tell,  and  there  are  those 
still  living  who  will  be  glad  to  read  what  I  write;  and  it 
may  even  be  that  it  will  be  of  some  value  to  some  great 
historian  of  my  state  and  of  the  war  who  is  yet  to  come. 
For  true  history  is  gathered  from  small  details  by  com- 
paratively obscure  men  who  write  of  their  times,  as  well 
as  by  men  who  filled  larger  places  in  the  eye  of  the 
world.  In  writing  this  story  of  my  own  life  I  must  of 
necessity  have  something  to  say  of  the  men  I  have 
.known  who  filled  far  more  important  places  than  I  did, 
and  who  now  with  few  exceptions  have  "passed  over 
the  river."  When  I  have  occasion  to  speak  of  them, 
while  I  do  so  freely,  I  will  I  hope  do  so  kindly. 

But  one  great  purpose  I  have  in  writing,  is  to  give  as 
far  as  I  can  the  details  of  the  operations  of  the  cavalry 
command  to  which  I  was  attached  during  the  great  war 
between  the  states,  for  these  are  never  given  in  the  re- 
ports of  the  great  commanders  or  in  the  histories  which 
are  compiled  from  them,  except  when  some  great  exploit 
by  a  Forest,  or  Wheeler,  or  Stuart,  is  mentioned.  The 
busy  and  constant  service  of  the  cavalry,  its  innumerable 
fights,  and  constant  loss  of  life,  is  rarely  if  ever  men- 
tioned. 

It  is  to  supply  to  some  extent  this  omission  as  to  my 
immediate  cavalry  command,  as  well  as  for  other  reasons, 
that  I  write  this  story.  I  am  not,  I  think,  either  a  vain 
man  or  a  boastful  one,  and  I  regret  that  I  must  of  neces- 
sity use  the  personal  pronoun  "I"  many  times  in  what  I 
write;  but  my  purpose  is  to  tell  a  continuous  story,  and 
I  cannot  otherwise  do  it,  at  least  not  so  well;  so  I  hope 
I  may  be  pardoned  by  my  readers.  It  is  not  so  much 
what  I  did  that  I  want  to  tell  as  it  is  what  the  brave  men 
with  whom  I  served  did. 

It  is  a  source  of  deep  regret  to  me  that  I  have  not 
every  name  and  that  I  will  not  even  be  able  to  give  the 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  .  3 

names  of  all  who  died  in  the  various  affairs  of  which  I 
will  tell,  for  it  is  these  men  whose  names  I  would  gladly 
make  live  as  far  as  I  can.  The  great  men  who  com- 
manded our  armies  with  few  exceptions  deserve  the 
honors  they  won,  but  it  is  the  unknown  and  forgotten 
who  won  their  honors  for  them. 

Some  of  the  great  commanders  on  each  side  have  told 
their  stories,  and  these  are  of  more  or  less  value  in 
making  up  the  history  of  the  war,  but  few,  if  any, 
who  held  subordinate  places  have  recorded  their  obser- 
vations or  their  experiences  as  soldiers  either  of  the 
Federal  or  Confederate  armies,  and  this  is  to  be  regretted, 
for  there  were  men  in  the  ranks  who  could  if  they  would 
have  told  interesting  stories,  and  even  yet  there  are 
many  who  can  do  it  if  they  will,  and  I  hope  others  may 
yet  do  it.  But  whatever  is  done  must  be  done  soon,  for 
a  few  more  years  and  there  will  be  none  left  to  tell, 
especially  what  Mississippi  and  Mississippians  did  in  that 
great  war,  and  thus  aid  the  historian  who  is  to  come  in 
writing  the  history  of  the  war  and  of  the  state. 

Our  brave  foes  have  been  more  fortunate  than  we 
have  been,  for  there  is  probably  not  a  name  of  any 
man  who  served  in  their  ranks  or  who  died  for  their 
cause  whose  name  has  not  been  preserved,  and  their 
dead  lie  in  well-cared-for  cemeteries,  guarded  with 
jealous  care,  that  future  generations  may  see  how 
brave  men  died  for  the  Union  and  how  a  grateful 
people  have  honored  their  memories. 

We  of  the  South,  whose  dead  nearly  all  lie  on  the  battle- 
fields where  they  fell,  grudge  not  these  honors  to  the  gal- 
lant dead,  who  while  they  lived  were  our  foes;  we  only 
ask  that  history  may  truly  tell  our  side  of  that  time 
"when  Greek  met  Greek."  This  will  be  done,  though 
the  time  may  not  yet  have  fully  come. 

But  now  to  my  own  story. 


4  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

I  was  born  January  7,  1830,  in  Adams  county,  Missis- 
sippi, within  about  a  mile  of  a  place  called  Selsertown, 
and  which,  though  there  is  now  no  town,  still  I  believe 
retains  the  name.  The  place  is  twelve  „  miles  from 
Natchez,  and  a  tavern  was  kept  there  for  a  long  time, 
perhaps  still  is,  though  the  railroad  which  now  runs  near 
it  from  Jackson  to  Natchez  has  nearly  destroyed  the  use- 
fulness of  the  celebrated  highway  upon  which  it  was 
situated  except  for  local  purposes.  This  was  the  road 
cut  in  the  earliest  history  of  the  territory  of  Mississippi 
from  Nashville,  Tennessee,  to  Natchez,  along  which 
General  Jackson  rode  when  he  sought  and  found  his 
bride  at  the  home  of  his  friend,  Colonel  Thomas  M. 
Green,  on  the  banks  of  Coles  creek,  and  along  which  he 
marched  his  victorious  troops  when  returning  after  the 
battle  of  New  Orleans.  It  was  then  the  great  thorough- 
fare for  all  travel  north  from  Natchez,  and  most  of 
that  south  to  Natchez,  for  few  cared  to  risk  the  dangers 
of  river  travel  in  those  days.  At  intervals  of  about  six 
miles  along  this  road,  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  terri- 
tory, little  villages  had  been  located  as  I  remember,  be- 
tween Natchez  and  Port  Gibson,  first  Washington,  once  the 
capital  of  the  state,  then  Selsertown,  Uniontown,  Green- 
ville, Raccoon  Box,  and  one  other,  the  name  of  which  I 
have  forgotten,  Red  Lick,  I  believe,  and  then  Port  Gib- 
son. All  of  these  villages  are  gone  save  only  their 
names,  and  these  forgotten  except  by  a  few  old  men  like 
myself,  and  except  that  Washington  still  remains,  a 
small  village  preserved  perhaps  by  the  college  located 
there.  The  history  of  this  part  of  the  state  always  pos- 
sessed, and  still  does,  a  romantic  interest  for  me,  because, 
perhaps,  when  a  boy  I  knew  many  of  those  who  had 
eitheic  been  among  its  earliest  settlers,  or  were  their  de- 
scendants then  grown,  and  who  loved  to  talk  of  their 
trials,  of  the  Indians,  of  the  Spaniards  who  owned  the 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  5. 

country  when  it  first  began  to  be  settled  by  American 
pioneers,  and  of  highway  robbers  who  sometimes  waylaid 
the  solitary  traveler.  Some  of  the  stories  I  may  tell  as 
I  recall  them.  The  story  of  the  ill-fated  tribe  of  the 
Natchez,  of  the  French  occupation,  then  of  the  English, 
then  of  the  Spanish,  and  last,  its  cession  to  the  United 
States,  all  combine  to  make  the  history  of  this  part  of  Mis- 
sissippi of  absorbing  interest,  and  growing  up  at  the  time 
and  place  I  did,  it  is  little  wonder  that  it  still  possesses  a 
charm  for  me,  and  that  I  love  to  dwell  even  now  upon  it. 

From  the  south  boundary  line  of  what  is  now  Claiborne 
county,  to  Natchez,  I  know  every  hill  and  spring  and 
stream,  for  twenty-five  years  of  my  life,  the  days  of  my 
youth,  were  spent  rnidway  between  Natchez  and  Port 
Gibson,  and  memory  often  takes  me  back  to  those  scenes 
of  my  youth.  But  if  I  dwell  too  long  on  these  things  I 
will  never  tell  my  story. 

While  still  an  infant  my  father  moved  into  Jefferson 
county,  and  soon  after  died.  He  was  James  Jefferson 
Montgomery,  son  of  Alexander  Montgomery,  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  the  territory,  of  whom  Claiborne  in  his 
history  of  Mississippi,  makes  honorable  mention  as  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  the  territory  and  of  the  state  till  his 
death,  a  few  years  after  its  admission  into  the  Union. 
My  mother  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  Colonel  Cato 
West,  also  a  pioneer,  who  became  secretary  of  the  terri- 
tory under  Governor  Claiborne,  and  for  some  time  the 
acting  governor  when  Claiborne  went  to  New  Orleans  as 
governor  of  the  newly-acquired  territory  of  Louisiana. 

Colonel  West  was  an  intimate  acquaintance  and  friend 
of  General  Jackson,  and  I  have  now  in  my  possession  a 
long  autograph  letter  written  to  him  by  General  Jackson 
in  the  year  1801,  devoted  to  personal  matters  and  pol- 
itics, and  directed  to  "Colonel  Cato  West,  Coles  Creek, 
Mississippi   Territory."     After  my  father's  death,    my 


6  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN. 

mother  went  to  live  on  our  place  on  Coles  creek,  about 
two  miles  from  Uniontown,  which  was  at  the  time  still  a 
little  village,  and  not  far  from  the  Maryland  settlement, 
so  called  because  some  of  the  earliest  settlers  were  from 
Maryland.  The  old  highway  spoken  of  ran  through  our 
place.  Here  after  some  years  my  mother  married  a  Mr. 
Malloy,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  but  she  died  while  still 
a  young  woman,  and  the  plantation  and  negroes  then 
fell  to  me.  In  my  early  boyhood,  and  while  she  lived,  I 
spent  much  of  my  time  with  my  uncle  Charles  West,  near 
Fayette,  in  Jefferson  county,  and  went  to  school  to  a  Mr. 
Roland,  a  Welshman,  who  certainly  did  not  spare  the 
rod,  or  rather  the  ferule,  which  was  his  favorite  instru- 
ment of  torture.  That  was  the  rule  in  those  days;  all 
teachers  whipped  their  scholars,  and  indeed  parents  all 
approved  it.  We  live  now  in  a  better  day,  for  the  best 
teachers  rarely,  if  ever,  resort  to  corporal  punishment, 
which  only  tends  to  degrade  a  child  and  harden  him. 

After  a  few  years  with  Mr.  Roland,  who  was  an  edu- 
cated man,  becoming  afterwards  an  Episcopal  minister,  I 
was  sent  to  Oakland  College,  when  about  twelve  years 
old,  and  remained  about  five  years  and  till  after  the 
death  of  my  mother.  Oakland  College  deserves  more 
than  a  passing  notice,  both  because  of  the  tragedy  in  the 
year  1851,  when  its  venerable  president  was  slain  at  his 
own  door  in  open  day  by  a  neighbor,  and  because  of  its 
singular  destiny  in  after  years,  at  least  its  undreamed  of 
destiny,  by  those  who  founded  and  supported  it.  Oak- 
land College  as  I  first  knew  it,  and  before  the  war  be- 
tween the  states  (I  have  not  seen  the  place  since),  had 
an  ideal  situation  for  a  college.  In  the  southwestern 
part  of  Claiborne  county  not  far  from  the  line,  the  nearest 
town  was  Rodney,  five  miles  away  in  Jefferson  county. 
The  cottages  in  which  the  students  roomed  formed  a 
semi-circle  on  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  with  the  main  col- 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  7 

lege  near  the  center,  and  close  to  this  the  president's 
house.  In  front  was  a  campus  covered  with  oak  trees, 
and  sloping  down  to  the  common  boarding-house,  and  at 
each  end  of  the  semi-circle  the  halls  of  the  literary  socie- 
ties, the  Belleslettre  and  the  Adelphic.  I  belonged  to  the 
first.  The  college  was  founded  mainly  by  Mr.  David 
Hunt,  of  Jefferson  county,  supposed  to  be  the  wealthiest 
planter  of  his  time,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jeremiah  Chamber- 
lain, who  was  its  president.  Dr.  Chamberlain  was  an  emi- 
nent divine  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was  a  most 
lovable  character.  Genial  and  whole-souled,  the  boys 
and  young  men  all  loved  as  well  as  respected  him.  He 
had  also  quite  a  vein  of  humor  in  his  nature,  and  this  would 
crop  out  at  unexpected  times.  I  remember  once  when 
he  was  hearing  a  class  in  rhetoric  or  logic,  in  his  lecture 
to  the  class  he  repeated  the  following  lines,  which  I  at 
least  have  never  seen  in  print,  but  which  though  it  is 
more  than  fifty  years  ago  I  have  never  forgotten: 

"Could  we  with  ink  the  ocean  fill, 

Were  earth  of  parchment  made, 
Were  every  single  stick  a  quill, 

Each  man  a  scribe  by  trade, 
To  write  the  tricks  of  half  the  sex 

Would  drink  that  ocean  dry. 
Gallants,  beware,  look  sharp,  take  care, 

The  blind  eat  many  a  fly." 

I  don't  remember  what  else  was  in  that  lecture,  but 
that  caught  me  and  has  staid.  It  was  well  known  that 
the  doctor  was  an  ardent  Whig  of  the  Henry  Clay  and 
Daniel  Webster  school,  and  the  boys  sometimes  took  ad- 
vantage of  it  to  tease  him  if  they  could.  I  recollect  in 
the  campaign  when  Mr.  Polk  was  the  candidate  of  the 
Democrats,  I  came  across  a  speech  made  by  a  Dr.  Dun- 
can, of  Ohio,  which  was  a  red-hot  Democratic  speech, 
and  as  my  time  to  declaim   before    the   president    and 


8  REMINISCENCES    OF    A   MISSISSIPPI  AX, 

students  was  near  at  hand,  I  committed  some  of  the 
most  eloquent  parts  to  memory  to  speak,  counting  in  ad- 
vance on  the  good  doctor's  indulgence.  I  was  urged,  too, 
by  many  boys  who  said  I  was  afraid  to  do  it. 

It  seems  that  in  some  parade  of  the  Whigs  in  some 
Northern  state  they  had  a  banner  with  this  inscription: 
"We  stoop  to  conquer."  This  excited  the  ire  of  some 
poetical  Democrat  who  wrote  a  piece  with  which  Dr. 
Duncan  closed  his  speech.     Two  verses  I  remember  yet: 

"  'We  stoop  to  conquer!'  who  are  'We' 

That  from  our  mountain  height  descending 
With  golden  bribe  and  treacherous  smile, 

With  the  sons  of  freemen  blending, 
Sow  the  seeds  of  vile  corruption  ? 

Poor  nurselings  of  the  Federal  'stye,' 
Fed  on  the  husks  of  aristocracy — 

'We'  quail  in  fear  beneath  the  eye 
Of  nature's  true  and  tried  Democracy." 

The  last  verse  I  gave  with  all  my  power,  turning  to 
the  doctor  and  pointing  at  him.  When  I  got  through, 
he  asked  me  where  I  had  got  the  speech,  and  when  I  had 
told  him,  only  said  as  I  had  spoken  better  than  usual,  he 
had  not  stopped  me.  In  fact,  though  a  boy,  I  was  my- 
self a  Whig,  and  I  did  not  loose  my  faith  and  hope  in 
that  most  glorious  of  all  political  parties  this  country  has 
ever  seen,  till  the  election  which  gave  us  Mr.  Lincoln 
and  bloody  war. 

Dr.  Chamberlain  was  not  only  a  Whig,  he  was  an  un- 
compromising unionist,  and  to  something  growing  out 
of  this  he  owed  his  death. 

At  the  time,  the  summer  of  1851,  during  the  vacation, 
I  was  married  and  living  on  my  plantation  some  twenty 
miles  from  the  college. 

The  compromise  measures,  as  they  were  called,  under 
which  I  believe  California  was  admitted   to  the  Union, 


IN   PEACE   AND    WAR.  9 

had  excited  a  great  deal  of  feeling  in  the  South,  higher 
in  Mississippi  and  South  Carolina  than  in  any  other 
states.  The  two  senators  from  Mississippi,  the  some- 
what erratic,  but  brilliant,  Henry  S.  Foote,  supported 
the  compromise,  while  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis  had  opposed 
it  in  congress.  A  convention  of  the  people  had  been 
called,  and  feeling  ran  high.  During  the  canvass  I 
heard  both  those  distinguished  men,  and  candor  com- 
pels me  to  say  I  thought  Mr.  Foote  the  superior  of 
Mr.  Davis  on  the  stump.  I  remember  one  thing  Mr. 
Davis  said  which  was  applauded  both  by  those  who  sup- 
ported him  and  those  who  did  not.  It  was  thought  by 
many  that  South  Carolina  would  secede  then,  and  Mr. 
Davis  said,  if  that  state  did  secede  and  the  Federal 
government  attempted  to  coerce  her,  he  for  one  would 
shoulder  his  musket  and  go  to  her  aid.  The  sentiment 
was  loudly  applauded,  for  none  in  this  country  at  that 
time  denied  the  right  of  a  state  to  secede  and  set  up  a 
government  of  its  own  if  its  people  desired,  with  or  with- 
out reason. 

Among  the  members  of  Dr.  Chamberlain's  church  a 
wealthy  gentleman  living  near  the  college,  named  Batch- 
eldor,  was  as  ardent  a  secessionist  as  the  doctor  was 
a  union  man.  It  was  reported  to  this  gentleman  by  a 
Mr.  Briscoe,  himself  a  secessionist,  that  Dr.  Chamberlain 
had  said  that  no  man  could  be  a  secessionist  and  a 
Christian.  They  had  met  by  accident  in  the  town  of 
Rodney,  and  with  other  gentlemen  were  discussing  the 
all-absorbing  topic  of  the  day,  when  Mr.  Briscoe  made 
this  statement,  not  as  I  remember  as  a  fact,  but  as  some- 
thing he  had  heard.  Without  a  thought  Mr.  Batcheldor 
said  to  him,  "You  may  tell  the  doctor  I  am  a  seces- 
sionist. ' ' 

Mr.  Briscoe  was  a  member  of  a  prominent  family 
living   near  the   college,  and  had    to  pass   through  the 


IO  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

college  grounds  on  his  way  home.  He  was  seen  to  stop 
at  Dr.  Chamberlain's  gate  and  get  off  his  horse,  and  the 
doctor  walked  from  his  porch  to  his  gate,  only  a  few  feet 
away.  No  one  heard  what  passed,  but  the  doctor  was 
seen  to  open  the  gate  and  pass  through,  and  then  turn 
and  walk  back  to  his  house  and,  in  the  presence  of  his 
horrified  wife  and  daughters,  saying  "I  am  killed,"  fell 
dead.  He  had  been  stabbed  to  the  heart,  a  heart  whose 
every  impulse  in  his  long  and  useful  life  had  been  for 
the  good  of  his  fellow-men. 

The  news  spread  like  wild  fire,  the  prominence  of  the 
doctor  and  his  blameless  life,  the  prominence  of  the 
family  of  the  unfortunate  who  in  a  moment  of  madness 
without  conceivable  motive  had  slain  him,  all  combined 
to  excite  the  people  to  madness.  Hundreds  hastened  to 
the  college  and  dire  threats  of  vengeance  were  made,  but 
Mr.  Briscoe  could  not  be  found.  After  striking  the  fatal 
blow  he  had  mounted  his  horse  and  gone  in  the  direction 
of  his  home,  and  for  some  five  or  six  days  this  was  all 
that  was  known  of  him.  Then  he  was  found  by  a  negro 
in  a  pasture  not  far  from  the  house  of  a  relative,  a  Mr. 
Harrison,  in  a  dying  condition  from  poison.  He  was 
taken  to  the  house  unconscious  and  soon  died.  After 
the  war  between  the  states,  Oakland  College  was  sold  to 
the  state  and  became  Alcorn  University,  a  college  for 
negroes,  and  is  now  the  Alcorn  Agricultural  and  Me- 
chanical College,  devoted  to  the  education  of  that  race. 
Who  of  its  founders  or  those  who  supported  it,  or  the 
proud  young  men  who  filled  its  halls,  could  ever  have 
dreamed  of  a  fate  so  strange,  and  to  me  so  sad,  for  this 
college,  once  the  pride  of  South  Mississippi  !  And  yet 
this  change  in  Oakland  College  is  a  small  thing  com- 
pared to  that  upheaval  and  destruction  of  southern 
homes  and  southern  society  caused  by  that  bloody  war 
for  the  preservation  of  that  Union  which  Doctor  Cham- 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  II 

berlain  and  thousands  of  others  in  his  day  loved  so  well, 
even  in  Mississippi,  which  a  few  years  later  was  to  be 
one  of  the  first  of  the  states  of  the  South  to  break  or  try 
to  break  the  bonds  which  bound  it  to  the  Union. 

The  names  of  Dr.  Chamberlain  and  Mr.  Hunt  have 
been  perpetuated  in  the  name  of  the  Chamberlain-Hunt 
Academy  at  Port  Gibson,  and  long  may  they  live,  though 
few  perhaps  know  of  the  tragic  fate  of  Dr.  Chamberlain 
or  the  unostentatious  life  of  the  ante  bellum  millionaire, 
Mr.  Hunt. 

I  remained  at  Oakland  College  till  I  had  gone  through 
the  junior  class,  and  then  the  Mexican  war  having  broke 
out,  though  under  age,  having  no  one  to  restrain  me,  I 
left  the  college  to  become  a  soldier.  In  this  hope  I  was 
disappointed,  as  the  result  of  my  efforts  will  show. 


12  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER  II. 

Mexican  war — Jefferson  troop — General  Thomas  Hinds — Natchez 
fencibles,  Captain  Clay — Vicksburg — Mustering  officer,  Gen- 
eral Duffield — Company  rejected — Trip  to  Jackson — Governor 
Brown — General  McMackin — Alleghany  College,  Meadville, 
Pennsylvania — Concert — Escaped  slave — Copper  cents — Skat- 
ing, sleigh  riding — Militia  muster — Home  again — Cotton 
planter  of  those  days — The  negro  as  he  then  was — As  he  is 
now. 

My  first  effort  to  be  a  soldier  was  to  join  a  cavalry 
company,  gotten  up  by  Charles  Clark,  then  a  lawyer  liv- 
ing in  Fayette,  Jefferson  county.  This  was  a  great  man, 
and  in  another  place,  when  I  shall  have  occasion  to  men- 
tion him,  I  will  pay  a  tribute  of  love  and  admiration  to  his 
character  and  services  to  his  state.  Our  company  was  to  be 
called  the  Jefferson  Troop,  after  the  celebrated  company 
commanded  by  General  Thomas  Hinds  in  the  battle  of 
New  Orleans,  of  whom  General  Jackson,  speaking  of  its 
charge  upon  the  British  lines,  said:  "It  was  the  wonder 
of  one  army  and  the  admiration  of  the  other."  I  knew 
General  Hinds  in  my  boyhood  days,  and  remember  him 
as  a  fine  old  gentleman  of  the  olden  time.  For  him  the 
county  of  Hinds  was  named,  and  thus  his  name  will  live 
as  long  as  the  state  does.  After  some  weeks  of  drilling, 
it  being  found  no  cavalry  was  wanted  from  Mississippi, 
we  disbanded,  and  I  went  to  Natchez  and  joined  a  com- 
pany commanded  by  a  Captain  Clay,  and  called,  I  believe, 
the  Natchez  Fencibles.  Captain  Clay  took,  as  he  sup- 
posed, a  full  company  to  Vicksburg  to  be  mustered 
into  service.  Certainly,  as  I  remember,  it  was  a  fine 
company,  but  there  was  politics  in  those  days  as  well  as 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 3 

now,  for  it  was  charged  openly  it  was  due  to  the  desire 
of  the  state  administration  to  keep  a  place  open  for  a  com- 
pany from  some  other  part  of  the  state,  which  was  al- 
ways true  to  the  Democratic  part}'  of  the  time,  that 
Captain  Clay's  company  was  not  mustered  in,  it  being 
from  a  staunch  Whig  county.  Anyway  we  got  to 
Vicksburg  and  were  assigned  quarters  in  the  old  depot 
building,  where,  after  remaining  a  few  days,  we  were 
brought  out  by  General  Duffield,  to  be,  as  we  supposed, 
mustered  into  service.       * 

I  recollect  him  well  as  dressed  in  a  gorgeous  uniform, 
with  a  cocked  hat  and  waving  plume,  a  long  saber  by 
his  side,  he  strutted  along  our  line.  Since  that  time  I 
have  seen  "Captain  Jinks,  of  the  Horse  Marines,"  on  the 
stage,  and  I  at  once  thought  of  General  Duffield,  and 
when  I  think  of  one  now  the  other  comes  before  me.  As 
he  came  to  me  he  stopped  and  asked  how  old  I  was,  and 
when  I  told  him  he  ordered  me  out  of  the  ranks.  There 
was  another  young  fellow  of  my  age  in  the  ranks  whose 
name  was  Fauntleroy,  and  heal  so  was  ordered  out;  and 
having  thus  reduced  the  company  below  the  minimum,  he 
promptly  rejected  it.  We  were  all  indignant,  as  were 
many  prominent  citizens,  and  it  was  decided  to  go  to 
Jackson  and  lay  our  case  before  Governor  Brown.  We 
succeeded  in  getting  an  engine  and  some  box  cars,  and 
got  to  Jackson  late  in  the  afternoon,  but  the  governor 
was  reported  sick  and  could  not  be  seen.  He  had  not 
gone  on  a  distant  fishing  excursion,  as  I  have  known  one 
governor  to  do,  in  order  to  avoid  an  unpleasant  inter- 
view. We  did  not  get  to  see  him,  but  we  had  a  high 
time.  Any  number  of  speeches  were  made,  and  it  was 
openly  charged  that  he  was  keeping  a  place  for  a  favored 
company  for  political  purposes.  There  was  great  excite- 
ment and  danger  of  personal  difficulties,  but  happily  these 
were  avoided. 


14  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

After  a  while  we  were  taken  to  supper  at  a  hotel  kept 
by  General  McMackin,  whom  I  then  saw  for  the  first 
time.  I  took  him  to  be  some  intoxicated  man  as  he  went 
around  crying  out  his  bill  of  fare:  "The  ham  and  the 
lamb  and  the  jelly  and  jam  and  blackberry  pie,  like  mama 
used  to  make."  The  reason  he  gave  for  this  habit  was 
that  when  he  first  opened  a  hotel  in  Jackson,  so  many 
members  of  the  legislature  could  not  read,  he  had  to  do 
it  in  order  to  let  them  know  what  his  bill  of  fare  was. 
Long  after  this  when  the  carpet-baggers,  who  had 
swooped  down  on  the  state  "like  a  wolf  on  the  fold,"  had 
got  full  control,  I  was  at  a  hotel  kept  by  the  General  in 
Vicksburg,  the  old  Prentiss  House,  and  to  my  surprise 
I  found  bills  of  fare  on  the  table.  He  had  just  com- 
menced this  usual  mode  of  letting  his  guests  know  what 
there  was  to  eat,  but  he  was  still  from  the  force  of  habit 
walking  up  and  down  the  dining-room  calling  his  bill. 
As  he  passed  near  me,  I  called  to  him  and  he  came  at 
once,  for  no  host  was  ever  more  polite  and  attentive  to 
his  guests.  I  said  to  him:  "General,  I  am  sorry  to  see 
those  bills  of  fare  on  your  table."  "Why,  why?"  he 
said.  "Because,"  I  replied,  "it  would  seem  to  intimate 
that  you  thought  the  state  had  become  more  intelligent 
under  this  carpet-bag  rule  than  it  was  in  the  good  old 
days  before  the  war. ' ' 

In  a  voice  that  could  be  heard  all  over  the  dining- 
room,  he  cried:  "I'll  burn  'em  every  one  up;  I'll  burn 
'em  every  one  up!"  and  I  believe  he  did,  for  I  never  saw 
them  on  his  table  afterwards. 

We  got  back  to  Vicksburg  the  same  night  (tired  out 
I  slept  all  the  way  back  on  a  pile  of  muskets),  with- 
out having  seen  the  governor,  or  got  any  satisfaction  as 
to  whether  our  company  would  be  received.  We  staid 
in  Vicksburg  a  few  days,  and  the  company  gradually 
broke  up,  some  of  the  men  joining  other  companies,  and 


IN    PEACE  AND    WAR.  1 5 

some  going  home.  For  myself,  I  was  disgusted  and  went 
home,  for  I  would  not  join  a  company  where  I  did  not 
know  either  the  men  or  officers. 

My  guardian  advised  me  to  return  to  college  for  at 
least  another  year,  and  this  I  was  willing  to  do,  but  I 
was  unwilling  to  go  back  to  Oakland  College,  as  I  pre- 
ferred to  go  north.  I  did  not  care  what  place  so  it  was 
in  the  north.  To  this  he  consented,  and  at  his  request 
I  concluded  to  go  to  Alleghany  College  in  Meadville, 
Pennsylvania.  He  knew  nothing  of  the  college,  except 
a  j'oung  man  from  the  north  who  had  taught  school  for 
him  and  who  had  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  him 
was  then  a  student  at  it.  Meadville  was  ninety  miles 
west  of  Pittsburg,  and  the  trip  from  my  home  in  those 
days  was  a  long  and  tedious  one.  I  embarked  at  Rod- 
ney on  a  steamboat  named  the  Ringgold,  after  Major 
Ringgold,  who  had  been  recently  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Palo  Alto  or  Resaca,  I  forget  which,  and  after  a  long  trip 
got  to  Louisville,  there  took  another  boat  to  Cincinnati, 
and  then  another  to  Pittsburg,  where  I  took  the  stage 
to  Meadville,  arriving  at  that  place  after  an  all  day  and 
all  night  ride,  a  little  before  day.  My  first  care  after 
breakfast  was  to  look  up  my  guardian's  friend,  whose 
name  was  Mills.  I  found  him  at  the  college  and  was  at 
once  made  at  home  with  him.  He  was  some  years  older 
than  I  was,  but  he  was  a  fine  fellow,  and  we  became  and 
remained  great  friends,  though  he  played  me  a  little 
trick  that  night.  Except  Mills,  there  was  not  a  human 
being  in  the  town  I  knew,  and  he  I  had  only  seen  that 
morning  for  the  first  time.  Meadville  had  at  the  time 
about  twenty-five  hundred  inhabitants,  and  had  its  very 
exclusive  set  in  society  as  I  afterwards  found  out.  There 
was  a  concert  to  be  given  at  the  hotel  at  which  I  was 
staying  that  night.  A  young  man  was  to  sing,  and  I 
proposed  to  Mills  to  come  and  take  supper  with  me  and 


l6  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

go  with  me,  and  he  agreed,  but  said  he  knew  some 
young  ladies  and  proposed  we  should  take  them,  to 
which  of  course  I  made  no  objection. 

He  introduced  me  to  his  friends,  two  sisters,  who  I 
saw  at  once  were  two  very  respectable  girls,  as  indeed 
they  were,  but  I  could  see  were  not  much  accustomed  to 
society.  However,  I  did  not  know  anything  about  the 
people  we  were  to  meet  at  the  concert,  so  I  did  not  much 
care. 

Neither  of  the  girls  was  pretty,  and  both  were  much 
older  than  I  was,  but  Mills  took  the  youngest  and  pret- 
tiest one  and  left  me  the  other.  It  was  a  long  walk  to 
the  hotel  and  I  was  very  much  bored  by  my  company, 
but  I  took  care  not  to  show  it.  I  could  see  at  once  from 
the  company  assembled  that  the  elite  of  the  town  were 
there,  and  that  our  girls  were  out  of  place,  and  I  felt 
sorry  for  them  and  somewhat  ashamed  for  myself.  I 
don't  think  Mills  had  ever  been  to  an  entertainment 
before,  and  I  never  knew  him  to  be  afterwards  where 
ladies  were  to  be  present.  How  it  was  he  ever  became 
acquainted  with  these  girls  I  don't  know.  Their  father 
owned  an  apple  cider  mill  and  a  distillery,  as  I  found 
later.  I  did  not  desert  my  charge,  but  paid  her  marked 
attention,  till  I  had  got  her  safely  back  home,  but  after 
one  formal  call  for  politeness,  I  never  saw  her  again, 
though  I  remained  in  Meadville  a  year. 

When  I  became  acquainted  as  I  did  with  most  of  the 
young  ladies  who  had  been  at  the  concert,  I  was  often 
teased  about  my  first  appearance  in  society.  The  singer's 
name  was  Sloan,  and  he  sang  well,  and  for  the  first  time 
I  heard  Xapoleon's  grave,  a  fine  old  song. 

I  was  a  young  man  fresh  from  a  southern  state  and 
had  never  been  north  before,  but  I  was  treated  with  ex- 
treme kindness,  and  before  I  left  had  many  warm  friends. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  curiosity  about  the  south  and 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 7 

about  slaves,  and  I  was  surprised  at  the  ignorance  of 
those  whom  it  seemed  to  me  ought  to  have  been  better 
informed,  but  there  was  little  travel  between  that  section 
of  the  country  and  mine.  Indeed,  I  don't  remember  to 
have  seen  but  two  men  from  the  south,  and  one  of  those 
was  a  relative  of  my  own  who  came  on  and  joined  me 
after  a  few  months,  and  the  other  a  young  student  from 
Maryland,  which  was  called  a  southern  state  because  it 
was  a  slave  state.  There  were  not  very  many  avowed 
Abolitionists  in  town,  but  they  were  very  bitter.  The 
general  feeling  then  was  that  slavery  was  a  matter  for 
the  south  to  deal  with,  but  if  a  runaway  negro  happened 
to  come  through  the  town,  he  was  helped  along  by 
everybody,  and  sometimes  one  did  come  escaping  from 
Maryland  or  Virginia.  One  came  while  I  was  there  and 
advertised  to  give  a  lecture.  To  everybody's  surprise,  I 
did  not  go,  for  two  reasons:  one  that  I  had  no  desire  to 
see  the  negro,  and  the  other  because  I  was  pretty  sure 
the  wild  young  fellows  would  raise  a  row,  as  actually 
happened.  I  was  told  by  some  who  went  that  he  was 
a  very  ignorant  negro.  There  were  very  few  of  that 
race  in  town,  some  barbers  and  one  old  fellow  who  said 
he  was  an  escaped  slave  from  Maryland  a  good  many 
years  before,  were  all  that  I  knew  anything  about. 
The  latter  soon  took  a  liking  to  me  and  waited  on  my 
room,  though  every  now  and  then  he  would  get  a  little 
tipsy  and  tell  me  I  could  n't  whip  him  like  I  could  in 
Mississippi.  Sometimes  I  would  pretend  to  be  angry 
and  start  towards  him  when  he  run,  and  once  fell  down 
stairs  being  a  little  fuller  than  usual,  and  I  had  to  go 
down  and  help  him  up.  I  reckon  the  old  fellow  liked 
me  chiefly  because  I  was  free  with  my  dimes  and  quarters, 
and  did  not  put  him  off  with  copper  cents.  These  cop- 
per cents  were  the  old  fashioned  kind,  as  big  as  a  half 
2 


1 8  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

dollar,  and  at  first  when  offered  me  in  change  I  would 
not  take  them;  but  I  soon  found  that  would  not  do,  as 
they  were  a  very  useful  coin  in  that  country  and  are  no 
doubt  to  this  da}*;  and  it  will  be  a  good  thing  for  the 
south  when  they  come  into  general  use  here.  Every- 
thing seemed  to  me  to  be  cheap  in  that  country;  my 
board  with  a  room  to  myself,  fires,  lights  and  washing 
furnished,  was  only  two  dollars  a  week.  After  the  bat- 
tle of  Buena  Vista,  where  the  Mississippi  regiment  saved 
the  day,  Mississippians  were  at  a  premium,  and  being 
the  only  one  in  town,  I  shared  in  the  glory  without 
having  been  in  danger,  as  I  would  have  been  had  Cap- 
tain Clay's  company  been  received. 

At  Alleghany  College,  in  Meadville,  I  found  that  the 
vacation  was  in  the  winter  for  three  months,  commencing 
the  first  of  December,  so  I  was  not  there  long  before  the 
vacation  commenced.  One  reason  for  this  was,  as  I  was 
informed,  that  the  young  men  might  teach  school  in  the 
country  schools  at  a  time  when  the  children  could  be  spared 
from  the  work  of  the  farm  to  go  to  school.  I  was  in  my 
room  one  day  when  a  farmer  came  in  and  introduced  him- 
self as  the  trustee  of  a  school  a  few  miles  away,  and  desired 
to  engage  me  to  teach  it.  I  have  always  regretted  I  did 
not  take  the  school.  This  left  me  nothing  to  do  but  to 
frolic,  and  I  soon  had  friends  enough  among  the  young 
people  to  keep  me  busy  at  this  entertaining,  if  not  profit- 
able, business.  French  creek  (I  believe  that  is  the  name) 
ran  through  the  town,  and  when  it  froze  over  I  got  me  a 
pair  of  skates — I  paid  two  dollars  and  a  half  for  them — 
and  went  down  to  join  a  crowd  and  learn  this  exhila- 
rating amusement,  but  after  several  severe  falls  I  con- 
cluded it  would  not  pay  a  Mississippi  boy  to  learn,  and  I 
gave  my  skates  away.  I  got  along  much  better  with 
sleigh  riding  though  my  first  ride  was  disastrous,  for  the 
horse  ran  away  with  the  cutter  and  threw  my  friend,  a 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  19 

young  man  named  Fleury,  and  myself  out  and  broke  the 
cutter,  for  which  I  had  to  pay. 

What  with  sleigh  rides  and  dances  every  week,  and 
sometimes  twice  a  week,  besides  other  amusements,  time 
did  not  drag  slowly,  but  soon  brought  the  opening  of  the 
college,  and  I  devoted  myself  to  it  till  I  concluded  to 
quit  and  go  home. 

The  arsenal  for  North-western  Pennsylvania  was 
located  at  Meadville,  and  while  I  was  there  a  muster  of 
the  militia  was  had,  and  all  the  students  attended,  of 
course.  There  were  hundreds  of  country  people,  and 
the  natural  result  followed,  a  number  of  fights  between 
the  students  and  those  people,  in  which  no  greater  dam- 
age was  done  than  black  eyes  or  bloody  noses.  I  carried 
the  signs  of  the  battle  for  some  days  myself. 

Next  door  to  my  boarding  house  lived  a  Dr.  Yates, 
whose  wife  was  a  sister  of  James  Buchanan,  then  the 
secretary  of  the  navy,  I  believe,  and  afterwards  president 
of  the  United  States.  The  doctor  had  a  very  pretty 
daughter,  who  married  a  young  man,  a  friend  of  mine, 
named  Dunham,  and  I  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  their 
house,  as  I  had  also  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  doctor's 
son,  a  midshipman,  who  was  at  home  a  good  deal  on 
leave. 

When  the  civil  war  broke  out  I  always  looked  to  see 
if  this  young  man  ever  arose  to  any  distinction,  but  I 
never  saw  his  name  mentioned;  perhaps  he  died  before 
the  war. 

I  spent  a  year  in  Meadville,  but  I  can't  dwell  on  that 
time,  pleasant  as  is  the  retrospect. 

I  returned  to  my  home  and,  with  the  consent  of  my 
guardian,  went  at  once  to  live  on  my  plantation,  which 
was  under  the  care  of  an  overseer.  I  wished  to  learn 
the  duties  of  my  station,  and  fully  made  up  my  mind  to 
spend  my  life  as  a  cotton  planter.     I  think  looking  back 


20  REMINISCENCES  OF   A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 

to  that  olden  time   the  most  delightful  existence,  and 
the  most  independent  a  gentleman  could  have. 

The  highest  ambition  of  all  men  in  the  south  at  that 
time,  so  far  as  occupation  was  concerned,  was  to  be  a 
planter,  and  to  spend  the  most  if  not  all  his  time  on  his 
plantation.  For  this,  the  merchant  invested  his  profits, 
the  lawyer  his  earnings,  and  indeed  everybody  saved  all 
he  could  to  attain  to  this  ideal  life.  The  planter  living 
upon  his  own  lands,  surrounded  by  his  slaves,  a  happy 
and  childlike  race  in  that  day,  dispensed  a  broad  and 
generous  hospitality;  no  one  was  ever  turned  from  his 
door.  For  even  the  lowliest  a  place  was  found.  His 
neighbors  were  everybody  within  a  day's  ride  from  his 
home,  and  frequent  visits  were  made,  the  planter  mounted 
on  his  splendid  saddle  horse,  his  favorite  mode  of  travel, 
and  his  wife  and  children  in  the  carriage.  He  was  a 
proud  man,  proud  of  his  wife  and  children,  proud  of  his 
plantation  and  slaves,  proud  of  his  stainless  honor,  and 
ready  to  exact  or  give  satisfaction  for  wrongs  fancied  or 
real,  suffered  or  done,  not  by  the  deadly  pistol  concealed 
in  the  hip  pocket,  but  by  a  meeting  upon  the  field  of 
honor,  with  mutual  friends  to  see  fair  play.  These  were 
the  halcyon  days  of  the  south,  gone  never  to  return,  but 
the  stories  of  those  days,  the  sacred  traditions,  have  pre- 
served, and  will,  I  hope,  continue  to  preserve  the  same 
spirit  in  the  descendants  of  those  noble  men,  and  keep 
them  pure  in  race  and  upright  and  honorable.  In  this 
lies  the  hope  of  the  south  to-day.  But  what  pen  can  do 
justice  to  southern  society  as  it  was  before  the  war,  its 
wide  influence  for  good  all  over  the  land ;  mine  cannot.  I 
speak  of  a  class  and  not  of  individuals,  for  there  were 
rare  exceptions  who  were  coarse  and  rude,  as  there  are 
to-day  men  who,  forgetting  the  traditions  of  the  past, 
destitute  of  gratitude  and  honor,   flaunt  themselves  in 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  2  1 

high  places,  scheming  only  how  best  they  may  deceive 
the  credulous  and  achieve  their  ends. 

I  have  said  that  the  negro  of  that  day  was  a  happy  and 
child-like  creature.  He  had  no  wants  not  willingly  sup- 
plied; he  had  no  care;  his  day's  work  done,  he  slept  se- 
cure. Crime  was  literally  unknown  to  him.  The 
planter  left  his  wife  and  children  on  his  place  surrounded 
by  his  slaves;  sure  that  they  were  safe  from  harm. 

Now,  what  is  his  condition?  I  speak  not  of  a  few 
bright  exceptions.  Ask  the  jails,  the  penitentiaries,  the 
lunatic  asylums,  which  are  filled  not  from  the  ranks  of 
the  old  slaves,  but  their  sons  and  daughters.  No 
white  man  will  now  leave  his  family  on  his  place,  sur- 
rounded by  negroes  alone,  and  often  when  I  have  been 
on  the  bench,  I  have  been  constrained  to  excuse  jurors 
for  this  reason. 

Insanity  was  as  unknown  among  negroes  before  the 
war  as  homicides;  each  was  extremely  rare.  I  don't  re- 
member in  those  days  but  one  really  crazy  negro,  though 
there  were  occasionally  idiots,  and  though  we  have  now 
two  large  asylums,  the  jails  are  filled  with  those  who 
cannot  be  received.  The  homicides  now  committed  by 
negroes  upon  each  other  constitute  the  most  frightful 
chapter  in  the  history  of  crime  ever  known  among  any 
people.  This  is  easy  to  prove.  What  is  to  be  his  ulti- 
mate destiny,  no  man  can  tell,  but  his  only  hope  at  last 
is  in  the  white  people  of  the  south.  I  take  no  account 
of  the  comparatively  few  negroes  in  the  north,  nor  do  I 
here  speak  of  the  negro  in  politics.  This  will  come 
later. 


22  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   III. 

Railroads — Shinplasters — Customs  of  the  times — Barbecues — Camp 
meetings — Militia  drills — Shooting  matches — Music  of  the 
times — The  preacher  and  the  robber — Indians — S.  S.  Prentiss — 
Dueling. 

Before  I  proceed  with  my  story,  I  must  pause  to  in- 
dulge in  some  reminiscences  of  that  far  away  time  when 
I  was  a  boy  in  Jefferson  county,  and  give  some  account 
of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people  and  of  their 
amusements,  and  this  chapter  may  be  taken  by  way  of 
parenthesis.  There  were  in  those  days  no  railroads,  the 
first  in  the  state  being  the  short  line  from  Jackson  to 
Vicksburg,  over  which  I  made  my  memorable  trip  to 
interview  Governor  Brown.  One  other  was  projected 
north  from  Natchez,  and  was  actually  finished  for  some 
seven  or  eight  miles,  but  this  fell  through  for  want  of 
funds.  It  had  a  bank,  too,  I  remember,  for  those  were 
the  days  of  shinplasters,  as  the  paper  money  of  the 
numerous  banks  in  the  state  was  then  called.  The 
mode  of  travel  for  gentlemen  was  on  horseback;  for 
ladies,  on  horseback  or  in  carriages. 

The  first  thing  when  a  gentleman  arrived  on  a  visit, 
if  it  were  not  before  eleven  o'clock,  was  to  invite  him 
to  the  sideboard  to  take  a  drink.  This  was  the  universal 
custom,  except  at  the  homes  of  preachers  or  very  strict 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  intoxication  was 
rare  except  at  barbecues  or  assemblies  to  hear  speeches 
when  politics  ran  high.  The  old  fashioned  barbecue  of 
that  time  has  passed  away,  for  those  we  have  now-a-days 
are  unlike  them  in  many  particulars. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  23 

The  men  did  not  go  to  them  loaded  down  with  pistols, 
for  the  deadly  hip  pocket  was  not  then  invented,  and  the 
pistol  of  the  day,  with  its  long  barrel  and  ugly  flintlock, 
was  too  troublesome  to  be  carried.  If  arms  were  carried, 
and  this  was  rare,  it  was  the  bowie  knife  or  dirk,  and 
no  body  ever  got  hurt  except  the  combatants.  Fights 
were  common  on  those  occasions,  but  they  were  almost 
always  fisticuffs,  a  word  and  a  blow.  There  was  always 
a  dance  on  the  ground,  and  at  night  an  adjournment  to 
the  nearest  house,  when  daylight  put  an  end  to  it  the 
next  morning.  The  music  was  the  fiddle,  played  usually 
by  a  negro,  and  such  music  !  old  men  forgot  their  age 
to  join  in  the  dance,  for  it  was  almost  impossible  to  hear 
it  and  keep  still.  It  makes  me  young  again  to  think  of 
it;  not  the  long-drawn-out  music  of  these  days,  but  such 
soul-stirring,  heel-rocking  tunes  as  ' '  Arkansaw  Traveler, ' ' 
"Mississippi  Sawyer,"  "Sugar  in  the  Gourd,"  "Jennie, 
put  the  Kittle  on,"  "Nigger  in  the  Woodpile,"  "Natchez 
under  the  Hill,"  and  others  too  numerous  to  mention. 
Almost  even'  plantation  had  its  negro  fiddler  as  well  as 
negro  preacher,  usually  the  biggest  scamp  on  the  place, 
and  the  happy  darkeys  would  dance  to  the  one  and  shout 
to  the  other  some  times  the  livelong  night.  The  planter 
and  his  family  often  went  to  look  on. 

Those  were  the  days  also  of  militia  drills  and  of  shooting 
matches,  usually  following  the  drill.  Everybody  be- 
tween eighteen  and  forty-five  was  required  to  attend 
and  bring  his  gun,  and  such  a  motley  crowd  and  such  an 
assortment  of  arms  can  never  be  seen  again. 

But  those  were  happy  days,  for  if  the  daily  paper 
could  not  be  had  the  good  people  never  felt  its  loss,  for 
they  knew  nothing  of  it.  In  these  days  we  can't  live 
without  it,  for  we  must  hear  the  news  from  all  the  world 
every  day,  and  twice  a  day  if  we  live  where  we  can  get 
an  evening  paper. 


24  REMINISCENCES   UF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

The  shooting  matches  were  trials  of  skill  with  the  long 
rifle,  sometimes  at  the  head  of  a  turkey  and  sometimes 
at  a  small  mark  for  beef,  and  there  were  many  who  could 
rival  the  skill  of  the  Leather-stocking. 

Camp  meetings  were  another  feature  of  those  days, 
which  have  passed  away  before  the  advancing  civilization 
of  the  times;  for  if  one  is  held  now,  I  am  told,  a  restau- 
rant is  attached  where  meals  are  sold.  In  the  days  I 
speak  of  a  shady  grove  was  selected  near  a  good  spring, 
and  the  well-to-do  members  of  the  church — Methodist — 
for  camp  meetings,  as  far  as  I  know,  was  a  distinct 
feature  of  that  church,  though  preachers  of  other  de- 
nominations often  helped — would  build  rude  but  com- 
fortable shanties,  each  large  enough  to  accommodate 
from  twenty  to  sometimes  forty  guests,  and  to  this  the 
owner  would  move  his  whole  family  and  his  house  serv- 
ants and  keep  open  house  with  old  fashioned  hospitality. 

And  then  the  preaching.  With  power  and  zeal  sinners 
were  warned  to  repentance,  and  a  vivid  imagination  could 
almost  see  the  fiery  billows  as  they  enveloped  the  hope- 
less, doomed  ones  who  cried  too  late  for  mercy  where 
mercy  never  came.  One  sermon  I  remember  by  the  Rev. 
B.  M.  Drake,  the  father  of  a  prominent  lawyer  now  living 
in  Port  Gibson.  A  man  of  stately  presence,  his  text  was: 
"Hear,  oh  heavens,  give  ear,  oh  earth,  for  the  Lord  hath 
spoken:  I  have  nourished  and  brought  up  children,  and 
they  have  rebelled  against  me;  the  ox  knoweth  his  owner 
and  the  ass  his  master's  crib,  but  Israel  doth  not  know, 
my  people  doth  not  consider."  Conceive  the  effect  which 
a  sermon  from  this  sublime  text  from  the  prophecies  of 
the  royal  prophet  would  have  upon  a  congregation  already 
wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  religious  fervor  by 
prayers  and  hymns,  when  the  preacher  was  eloquent  and 
full  of  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  the  souls  of  those  who 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR.  25 

heard  him,  and  which  he  firmly  believed  would  be  lost 
forever  if  they  did  not  repent. 

The  pioneer  Methodist  preachers  in  that  territory  were 
an  interesting  class.  Some  I  recall — the  Rev.  John  G. 
Jones,  whose  adventures  when  he  was  a  young  man  were 
thrilling  to  hear;  and  another,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cotton, 
who,  when  I  was  a  boy,  was  often  at  our  house;  and  I 
heard  him  tell  of  his  adventure  with  a  robber,  a  story 
which  Mr.  Shields,  in  his  Life  of  Prentiss,  tells,  I  be- 
lieve, but  a  little  differently  from  the  way  I  had  it  from 
Mr.  Cotton.  He  was  riding  along  a  lonely  road,  when 
suddenly  a  man  with  a  gun  stepped  from  behind  a  tree, 
\and  ordered  him  to  halt.  He  then  made  him  ride  into 
the  woods,  and  demanded  his  money.  He  was  like  the 
apostle,  for  "silver  and  gold"  he  had  none.  The  robber, 
enraged,  told  him  to  dismount,  as  he  intended  to  kill 
him.  Mr.  Cotton  asked  leave  to  pray  before  being  put 
to  death,  and  it  was  granted  him.  He  kneeled  down  by 
the  side  of  a  log,  and,  with  closed  eyes,  prayed  fervently 
for  his  own  reception  into  heaven,  for  the  salvation  of  the 
world,  and,  above  all,  for  the  pardon  and  salvation  of  the 
sinful  man  who  was  about  to  imbrue  his  hands  in  his 
blood.  When,  at  last,  he  had  finished,  he  arose,  and,  lo! 
the  robber  had  gone.  But,  I  might  fill  pages  with  stories 
of  that  time  without  ever  finishing  my  own. 

These  were  the  days,  also,  of  quilting  bees,  and  each 
house  had  its  frame;  the  wealthiest  as  well  as  the  poorest 
planter's  wife  would  save  her  scraps  and  sew  them  into 
squares,  stars  and  diamonds,  until  enough  were  gotten 
to  make  a  quilt,  and  then  the  neighboring  ladies  would 
come  and  gather  round  the  frame  while  the  busy  needles 
flew,  and  the  busy  tongues  kept  time  till  the  work  was 
done.  This  was  a  source  of  great  pleasure  and  amuse- 
ment to  the  married  ladies,  nor  were  the  negro  seam- 
stresses, of  which  there  were  alwavs  one  or  more  on  each 


26  REMINISCENCES   OF    A   MISSISSIPPIAX, 

plantation,  permitted  to  aid  in  this  work.  Now  and  then, 
in  these  days,  one  of  these  old  patch-work  quilts  may  be 
found,  a  relic  of  other  days,  but  then  piles  of  them  were 
in  every  house.  Sewing  machines  were  not  even  dreamed 
of;  indeed,  long  after  this,  when  my  wife  began  to  talk 
of  getting  a  machine,  I  laughed  at  the  idea,  for  I  did 
not  believe  one  could  be  made  which  would  work.  In 
those  days,  too,  cooking  stoves  were  unknown  in  the 
south;  it  was  not  until  I  had  been  married  seven  or  eight 
years  that  I  would  consent  to  buy  one.  The  kitchen  was 
never  in  the  house,  always  at  a  distance  from  it,  and  the 
fireplace,  a  huge  affair,  with  an  iron  crane  to  hang  the 
pots  over  the  fire  in  which  boiling  was  done,  while  upon 
a  great  wide  hearth  the  coals  would  be  raked  out,  upon 
which  the  skillets  were  put  to  do  the  baking,  while  heaps 
of  coal  were  put  on  their  lids.  These  were  the  days  of 
hoe  cakes,  ash  cakes  and  Johnnie  cakes,  and  no  such 
cooking  has  ever  been  done  since,  and  it  makes  my  mouth 
water  now  to  think  of  it.  But,  good-bye  to  those  good 
old  times,  though  memory  still  often  brings  them  back. 

In  my  earliest  recollection,  there  were  a  good  many 
Indians  still  to  be  seen  in  the  country;  these  belonged 
to  the  Choctaws,  for  the  brave  but  ill-fated  Natchez  had 
disappeared  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  They  made  their 
last  stand  on  a  place  known,  perhaps,  yet  as  Cicily  Island 
in  what  is  now  Louisiana,  not  far  from  Natchez,  and  the 
few  who  were  not  killed  or  captured  were  dispersed  and 
lost  forever  as  a  tribe.  It  has  been  said  that  the  dead 
Indian  is  the  only  good  Indian,  and  it  may  be  so.  But 
their  story  is  a  melancholy  one,  and  it  is  a  pity  a  better 
fate  was  not  reserved  for  them.  They  had  the  vices  of 
the  barbarian,  but  they  had  virtues  which  none  of  the 
other  barbarous  races  ever  had.  The  Indians  I  knew 
were  a  peaceful  people,  the  women  making  baskets 
from  cane  and  the  men  subsisting  by  hunting  and  mak- 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  27 

ing  and  selling  to  the  white  boys  blow-guns,  a  favorite 
weapon  with  the  boys  to  shoot  birds  with  in  those 
times. 

While  I  was  still  a  small  boy,  the  great  Prentiss  was 
often  in  the  county,  sometimes  attending  the  courts  and 
sometimes  speaking  at  the  political  barbecues. 

I  remember  to  have  heard  him  in  two  of  his  great 
speeches,  noticed  specially  by  his  biographer,  Shields. 
One  was  near  Natchez  and  the  other  was  at  Rodney.  I 
was  too  young  to  appreciate  his  arguments,  but  I  remem- 
ber well  how  the  words  seemed  to  flow  from  his  lips  in  a 
torrent  and  with  what  enthusiasm  they  were  received  by 
his  audience,  and  his  face  and  figure  still  dwell  in  my 
memory.     He  was  a  wonderful  man,  an  unrivaled  orator. 

Coming  from  the  land  "of  steady  habits"  to  Mississippi, 
he  became  in  a  little  while  a  typical  Mississippian  of  the 
olden  time,  when  that  name  implied  all  that  was  honor- 
able and  true.  After  I  grew  up  and  became  acquainted 
with  the  life  and  writings  of  Byron,  I  always  associated 
the  two  together,  for  each  had  the  same  lameness,  and  to 
this  physical  likeness  there  were  many  things  in  their 
temperaments  which  were  alike.  Each  died  in  his  prime. 
The  name  of  Prentiss  occurred  to  me  here  as  I  remem- 
bered another  custom  of  that  time  among  gentlemen,  an 
"imperious  custom,"  as  it  was  called  by  a  noted  divine 
in  his  eloquent  funeral  sermon  at  the  burial  of  Alexander 
Hamilton,  who  had  fallen  in  his  duel  with  Aaron  Burr — 
the  custom  of  dueling. 

Mr.  Prentiss  fought  two  duels  with  Henry  S.  Foote, 
but  it  is  no  part  of  my  plan  to  give  an  account  of  these 
duels,  but  only  to  mention  the  fact  that  in  those  days  no 
man  who  had  any  regard  for  his  honor  or  character  could 
refuse  to  fight  if  insulted  or  if  he  had  insulted  another. 
The  custom  is  just  as  "imperious"  now  as  it  was  then, 
for  while  the  laws  condemn  it,  yet  public  sentiment  will 


28  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

condemn  any  man  in  public  life,  or  whose  business  or  pro- 
fession makes  him  prominent,  who  dares  to  refuse,  to  de- 
mand, or  give  satisfaction  on  the  field  of  honor  in  those 
cases  where  custom  has  made  it  proper,  if  not  imperative. 
But  I  must  leave  those  old  times  and  hasten  on. 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  29 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Marriage — Move  to  Bolivar  county — Old  town  of  Napoleon — The 
hunter — Money — State  banks — Overflows  and  levees — Battle  of 
Armageddon — John  Brown's  raid — Effect  in  the  south — Elec- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln. 

On  the  1 2th  day  of  January,  1848,  when  I  was  but 
little  past  eighteen  and  my  wife  not  quite  that  age,  I 
was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte  Clark,  or,  as  she  was 
always  affectionately  called,  Lottie  Clark.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  James  Clark,  who  had  when  she  was  an  in- 
fant moved  from  Lebanon,  Ohio,  where  she  was  born, 
and  a  sister  of  General  Charles  Clark.  We  had  been 
sweethearts  as  long  as  I  could  remember,  and  she  also 
had  just  returned  from  school  at  Georgetown  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  having  while  there  made  her  home 
with  an  uncle  living  in  Washington  City.  The  family 
were  Marylanders,  having  originally  come  over  with  or 
as  a  part  of  Lord  Baltimore's  colony,  and  her  father  had 
been  born  in  Maryland,  moving  when  a  young  man  into 
Ohio,  where  he  lived  till  he  was  induced  by  his  son 
Charles,  who  had  preceded  him  some  years,  to  move 
his  whole  family  to  Mississippi,  becoming  a  cotton 
planter.  He  was  not  a  large  planter,  but  he  prided 
himself  on  the  knowledge  he  had  acquired  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  especially  on  the  cultivation  of  his  crop,  which 
was  always  clean.  He  took  special  care  in  the  neatness 
with  which  his  cotton  was  handled  in  preparing  it  for 
market,  and  it  always  brought  the  highest  market  price. 
After  I  was  married  I  was  riding  one  day  with  him 
through  his   field  and  to    my  surprise   he  said   it   had 


30  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

always  seemed  singular  to  him  that  there  were  red  and 
white  blooms  on  the  same  stalk.  I  explained  it  to  him; 
but  the  fact  was' he  had  always  been  puzzled  over  it,  but 
would  not  inquire.  Peace  to  his  ashes;  he  was  a  good 
man  and  lived  to  a  good  old  age. 

We  were  young  to  marry,  I  especially,  but  I  had  for 
some  years  been  my  own  master;  no  objection  was  made 
by  any  one,  I  had  a  home  prepared  to  go  to  and  ample 
support  assured,  and  I  took  my  bride  to  our  home.  Our 
house  was  large  and  old  fashioned,  but  comfortable,  and 
it  was  our  delight  to  fill  it  with  young  people  and  have 
the  fiddler  from  the  quarter,  as  the  place  where  the 
negroes  lived  was  called,  almost  every  night,  though  on 
set  occasions  we  would  have  the  music  from  the  towns, 
Fayette,  Rodney,  and  sometimes  Natchez.  In  those  days 
we  knew  no  care,  but  were  as  light  hearted  as  our  negroes 
who  loved  to  crowd  around  the  doors  and  windows  of 
the  great  house,  as  they  called  the  residence  in  which 
their  owner  lived,  to  see  the  fun.  I  usually  kept  an 
overseer,  as  most  planters  did,  and  had  ample  time  for 
amusements  and  reading,  of  which  I  was  always  fond. 
I  read  everything,  novels,  history  and  that  wonderful 
book  the  Bible,  of  which  I  have  been  a  student  all  my 
life.  I  read  also  the  usual  text-books  on  law,  though  at 
the  time  I  little  thought  I  would  ever  put  this  to  any 
use.  I  had  a  good  library  for  the  time,  of  books  now 
out  of  print,  if  not  also  entirely  useless,  at  least  many  of 
them,  in  these  days.  My  wife  always  had  her  hands 
full,  for  what  with  company,  the  care  of  her  household 
affairs,  and  the  looking  after  a  half  dozen  servants  and 
more  on  extraordinary  occasions,  about  which  there  was 
often  a  dispute  if  the  crop  was  in  the  grass,  to  which 
was  soon  added  the  care  of  a  family,  her  time  was  fully 
occupied.  And  so  we  passed  the  days  happy  when  we 
lived  in  Jefferson  county. 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  3 1 

We  lived  on  our  plantation  in  that  county  for  seven 
years,  when  I  sold  the  lands  I  owned  in  that  county  and 
in  Hinds  and  moved  to  Bolivar  county  to  a  plantation  I 
had  bought  and  partly  improved  a  year  before.     I  had 
been  largely  influenced  to  this  move  by  my  brother-in- 
law  and  friend  General    Clark,  who,   having  given   up 
the   practice   of   law   in   Jefferson   county,  had   already 
moved  his  family  to  a  plantation  he  owned  on  the  banks 
of  the  river,  not  far  above  the  old  town  of  Napoleon,  a 
live  town  in  those  days,  too  much  so  far  quiet  people. 
It  was  the  port  at  which  almost  all  the  boats  which  plied 
their  trade  on  the  White  and  Arkansas  rivers  made  and 
received  transhipments  of  freight,  and  there  was  always 
a  large  and  tough  floating  population.     I  remember  a  curi- 
ous adventure  I  had  on  one  occasion.     I  had  gone  there 
to  get  a  boat  to  go  down  the  river,  as  boats  always  landed 
there,  while  it  was  not  always  easy  to  get  one  to  land  at 
other  places.     I  had  to  wait  all  day  as  it  happened,  and 
in  one  of  my  walks  from  the  tavern  to  the  wharfboat, 
where  I  could  see  a  long  way  up  the  river,  I  met  a  man 
I  had  previously  seen  come  into  town  with  a  cart  loaded 
with  venison.     There  was  no  one  near,   it  being  some 
distance  either  to  the  town  or  to  the  wharfboat.     This 
man  was  in  his  shirt  sleeves  and  bloody  from  his  occupa- 
tion  and    was  talking    to    himself.     He   was   a    tough- 
looking  customer  and    I    proposed    to  give  him  a  wide 
berth,  but  seeing  me  he  came  directly  to  me.     He  had 
in  his  hand  a  five  dollar  bill  and   he  asked  me  to  tell 
him  whether  it  was  good   money  or  not.     He  said   he 
had  just  sold  a  venison  to  a  steamboat  which  was  at  the 
landing  and  got  it  in  payment.     It  was  a  bill  of  some 
bank  in  one  of  the  northwestern  states  (for  every  state 
had  its  own  banking  system),  and  as  I  had  never  heard 
of  the  bank  I  told  him  I  did  not  know. 

All  along  the  river  the  country  was  flooded  so  to  speak 


2)2  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

with  bills  from  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, and  states  too  numerous  to  mention.  No  man 
could  tell  not  only  whether  the  bills  were  genuine  or  not, 
but  whether  they  were  worth  a  copper  if  they  were  gen- 
uine. Mississippi  alone  had  no  banks  of  issue,  the  days 
of  the  shinplasters  had  cured  that  state.  Some  of  the 
banks  of  Memphis,  Tennessee,  were  supposed  to  be  good 
and  the  bills  wrere  taken  freely.  The  banks  of  New 
Orleans  were  always  solvent  up  to  the  war,  and  was  the 
only  paper  money  which  every  body  in  this  country  would 
take  without  question. 

I  politely  excused  myself  to  the  man  and  desired  to 
pass  on,  but  he  would  not  let  me  go  till  I  had  heard  him 
through,  which  was  his  life  from  the  time  he  was  a  little 
boy  when  his  father  married  a  second  time,  when  he 
quarreled  with  his  stepmother  and  ran  away,  to  that  time. 
He  told  me  of  his  success  as  a  hunter,  how  much  he  made 
and  was  in  the  highest  degree  confidential,  that  he  in- 
tended soon  to  quit  his  business  and  go  back  to  his  old 
home  in  Tennessee,  join  the  church  and  be  always  a  good 
man.  I  did  not  know  whether  the  man  was  crazy  or 
drunk,  but  in  either  case  thought  it  best  to  humor  him. 
At  last  he  admitted  my  excuses  and  permitted  me  to  go, 
but  he  had  evidently  taken  a  strong  fancy  to  me  for  he 
wanted  to  know  if  I  wanted  any  money.  I  told  him  no, 
but  he  insisted,  and  pulling  out  an  old  buckskin  purse 
full  of  gold,  evidently  several  hundred  dollars,  told  me  to 
take  what  I  wanted.  The  strange  thing  about  it  was, 
that  in  a  town  like  Napoleon  then  was,  a  man  seemingly 
so  free  with  his  money  should  have  had  any  at  all.  I  got 
away  from  him  and  though  I  noticed  him  afterwards  on 
the  street  I  kept  out  of  his  way.  Not  a  vestige  remains 
now  of  the  old  town  of  Napoleon,  the  insatiable  river  has 
long  since  swept  it  away.  The  county  of  Bolivar  when 
I  came  to  it,  in  January  1855,  was  an  unknown  wilderness 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  33 

save  a  few  plantations  on  lake  Bolivar  and  Egypt  ridge, 
so  called  because  in  the  high  water  of  1S44  it  was  not 
overflowed,  and  a  great  deal  of  corn  was  made  on  it,  and 
save  also  a  few  plantations  along  the  bank  of  the  river. 
These  plantations  were  all  partly  protected  by  small  pri- 
vate levees,  for  the  entire  country  was  annually  inundated 
by  floods  which  came  down  the  river  every  spring,  thus 
showing  the  absurdity  of  the  idea  some  have  that  the 
great  overflows  we  sometimes  have  are  due  to  the  levees. 
The  truth  is,  this  magnificent  country  is  worthless  with- 
out protection  from  levees,  and  while  we  have  not  yet 
perhaps  complete  protection,  yet  it  is  now  settled  that  be- 
fore many  years  have  passed  the  great  government  of  the 
United  States  will  assume  control  of  the  work  and  pro- 
tect the  country.  Already  we  have  received  and  do  re- 
ceive great  aid  through  the  river  commission,  and  it  is 
certain  that  this  is  largely  due  to  the  persistent  and  untir- 
ing energy,  zeal  and  tact  of  one  man,  the  Hon.  Thomas 
C.  Catchings,  for  so  many  years  the  member  of  congress 
from  the  district  where  the  levees  are  situated. 

When  General  Catchings  first  became  a  candidate  for 
congress,  the  vote  of  the  district  was  largely,  in  fact,  a 
majority,  a  negro  vote,  for  we  had  then  no  franchise  law 
as  now,  which  to  a  great  extent  curbs  and  curtails  the 
ignorant  vote.  I  recollect  in  the  first  speech  he  made  in 
Rosedale  in  his  first  canvass,  and  when  his  audience  was 
mostly  composed  of  negroes,  in  speaking  of  what  he 
hoped  to  do  for  the  levees,  his  opponent  being  a  negro, 
he  told  them  that  much  of  the  success  which  a  member  of 
congress  could  hope  to  achieve  would  be  due  to  his  social 
standing  with  other  members;  and  this  is  true,  for  no 
matter  how  able  a  member  might  be,  his  social  qualities, 
his  ability  to  make  friends,  his  tact,  were  sure  to  ac- 
complish more  than  all  the  speeches  he  would  make,  no 
3 


34  REMINISCENCES    OF   A    MISSISSIPIAN, 

matter  how  eloquent  he  might  be;  and  these  qualities 
General  Catchings  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree,  and 
though  experience  has  shown  that  he  is  a  man  of  ability, 
and  well  able  to  hold  his  own  in  debate,  yet  his  success 
is  no  doubt  largely  due  to  them. 

When  I  came  to  Bolivar  the  levee  system  was  in  its 
infancy;  each  county  had  its  own  system,  and  this  in 
Bolivar  had  just  been  put  in  operation,  and  levee  build- 
ing had  just  begun,  and  has  continued  till  now,  and  I 
suppose  must  continue  for  some  time,  because  it  is  ad- 
admitted  that  the  levees  are  not  yet  high  and  strong 
enough  to  control  the  mighty  floods  which  sometimes 
sweep  down  the  great  river.  Under  the  protection  of  the 
levees,  imperfect  as  it  yet  is,  the  wilderness  to  which  I 
came  in  1855,  has  now,  in  the"  year  1900,  been  made  to 
"blossom  as  the  rose,"  railroads  traverse  the  county,  and 
towns,  and  villages  have  sprung  up  everywhere.  We 
settled  on  our  place  on  the  river  below  Napoleon,  and 
lived  there  for  three  years,  and  which  during  that  time 
I  greatly  improved,  but  was  then  tempted  by  a  big  price 
and  sold  the  land  to  a  gentleman  from  South  Carolina. 
About  that  time  there  was  a  great  demand  for  the  fertile 
lands  of  the  Delta  by  planters  from  all  parts  of  the 
south.  I  bought  immediately  another  tract  of  land  on 
the  river,  where  the  town  of  Beulah  is  now  situated. 
The  town  takes  its  name  from  the  name  I  gave  my  land- 
ing. This  place  I  handsomely  improved  with  a  fixed 
purpose  of  making  it  my  home  as  long  as  I  lived;  but  this 
hope  was  not  to  be  realized.  The  time  was  fast  approach- 
ing when  devastating  war  was  to  overshadow  the  land, 
and  when  the  torch  of  an  enemy  was  to  be  applied  to 
every  house  upon  the  place,  except  one  insignificant 
shanty. 

I  remember  to  have  read  a  few  years  before  the  war  a 
book  which  created  some    talk,  called   "Armageddon," 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  35 

written  by  a  Methodist  preacher  named  Baldwin.  This 
book  purported  to  be  an  exposition  of  the  United  States 
in  prophecy.  He  attempted  to  show  from  the  ancient 
prophecies  that  the  United  States  was  to  be  engaged  in  war 
with  a  great  northern  power,  which  he  said  was  Russia, 
and  that  the  battle-ground  was  to  be  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi.  The  country  to  be  invaded  was  a  country 
of  unwalled  villages,  a  term  that  certainly  applied  with 
great  force  to  the  south  of  that  day,  for  every  plantation 
was  a  village.'- 1 1  could  not  but  smile  at  the  thought  of  a 
hostile  force,  even  if  the  country  was  ever  to  be  at  war 
with  a  great  nation,  ever  penetrating  to  my  peaceful 
home,  five  hundred  miles  from  the  coast,  and  yet  a  great 
northern  power  was  in  a  few  years  to  sweep  over  the 
south  as  with  a  besom  of  destruction.  Was  Baldwin  a 
prophet,  or  was  the  great  war  between  the  states  indeed 
foretold  in  the  ancient  scriptures,  but  not  fully  under- 
stood by  Baldwin  when  he  wrote  his  book  ?  I  have  the 
book  yet,  I  think,  but  have  mislaid  it  and  cannot  find  it; 
but  certain  it  is  that  he  published  the  book  some  five  or 
six  years  before  the  war  commenced,  and  in  it  he  said 
the  United  States  was  to  be  engaged  in  the  war,  and 
that  it  would  commence  in  about  1S61.  I  hope  before  I 
finish  this  to  find  the  book  and  correct  this  statement  if 
I  am  wrong.  He  died  before  the  war  as  I  remember,  as 
was  reported  in  the  papers,  and  had  been  described  to  me 
by  one  who  knew  him  as  a  strange  and  peculiar  character, 
indeed  thought  by  some  to  be  deranged. 

Until  the  John  Brown  raid  I  had  never  for  a  moment 
lost  my  loyalty  to  the  union,  but  after  that  I  became  a 
secessionist;  not  because  of  the  attempt  of  this  fanatic 
to  bring  on  a  war  between  the  races  in  the  south,  these 
things  were  to  be  expected,  and  were  to  be  met  and  de- 
feated as  was  done  in  his  case.  But  the  manner  in  which 
his  death  was  received  in  the  north,  for  he  was  looked 


36  REMINISCENCES    OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

upon  as  a  martyr  to  the  cause  of  freedom  and  was  almost 
deified  by  many,  convinced  me  as  it  did  thousands  of  other 
union  men  in  the  state,  that  if  our  liberties  were  to  be 
preserved  and  the  rights  of  the  states  held  sacred,  we  must 
endeavor  to  defend  them  out  of  and  not  in  the  union. 

The  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln  by  the  votes  of  the  north- 
ern states,  in  the  minds  of  most  people  in  the  south,  set- 
tled the  question  that  safety  could  no  longer  be  found  in 
the  union,  and  all  began  to  prepare  foTaj&eession.  I  be- 
lieve Mr.  Lincoln  to  have  been  a  good  main,  and  I  think 
the  course  of  events  proved  him  to  be  a  great  man,  and  I 
am  sure  if  there  had  been  no  secession  that  there  would 
have  been  no  interference  by  him,  or  with  his  consent, 
with  the  rights  of  the  southern  states.  But  he  was  un- 
deniably a  sectional  candidate  and  elected  upon  a  sectional 
issue,  and  this,  in  my  opinion  then,  and  in  my  opinion 
now,  fully  justified  the  southern  states  in  secession,  if  as 
was  claimed  and  believed  by  almost  every  one  in  the 
south,  this  right  existed  under  the  constitution  which^ 
bound  all  the  states  together.  Much  has  been  said  aricH|£: 
written,  both  before  and  after  the  war,  on  this  question, 
and  it  remains  unsettled  to-day,  for  the  constitutional 
question  was  not  settled  by  the  war;  the  only  thing  set- 
tled was  that  we  of  the  south  did  not  have  the  power  to  ! 
exercise  the  right  if  it  did  exist,  nor  the  power  to  win  our 
independence  in  a  revolution,  which  right  is  acknowledged 
always  to  be  with  all  people  when  they  think  their  liber- 
ties or  rights  are  in  danger,  of  which  they,  and  they  alone, 
must  be  the  judges.  I  do  not  think  Mr.  Lincoln  ought  to 
be  blamed  in  the  south  for  the  course  he  took,  for  he 
could  not  do  otherwise,  and  as  for  the  south,  no  other 
course  with  honor  was  left  than  to  secede  and  leave  the 
result  to  the  God  of  battles,  if  war  should  come,  which 
most  doubted  and  few  wanted. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  37 


CHAPTER    V. 

Excitement — Elections  before  the  war — Formation  of  companies — 
Bolivar  troop— Se<sfesion  of  the  state — Mississippi  a  nation — 

^*Army  and  ci(8ftm  "houses — General  Charles  Clark— Anecdote. 


I  am  not  writing  a  history  of  the  state,  or  of  the  war, 
though  perhaps  it  may  be  a  little  of  both,  at  least  as  far 
as  I  was  personally  concerned  in  events  that  occurred  in 
the  state,  or  in  the  army,  of  which,  to  some  extent,  I 
was  a  part.  Hence,  I  have  passed  rapidly  by  many  mat- 
ters of  interest  in  the  history  of  the  state  to  the  time 
when  I  became  a  resident  of  Bolivar  county,  even  touch- 
ing lightly  on  the  exciting  campaign  of  1 851,  in  which 
the  issue  even  then  was  secession  or  union,  though  se- 
cession was  not  openly  advocated  or  avowed,  except  by 
a  few  extremists.  I  was  deeply  interested  in  this,  though 
too  young  to  take  a  very  active  part,  for  I  had  not  long 
become  of  age.  I  was  then  a  unionist,  and  voted  for 
General  Clark,  who  was  the  union  candidate  for  the  con- 
vention which  had  been  called,  and  afterwards  for  Mr. 
Foote,  who,  though  a  Democrat,  was  the  union  candidate 
for  governor,  and  was  supported  generally  by  the  Whigs. 
But  the  time  had  now  come  when  I  was  to  take  an  active 
part  in  public  matters,  and  in  an  election  held  in  the  fall 
of  1855  I  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  police 
(now  supervisors)  and  its  president,  which  office  I  held 
till  the  secession  of  the  state,  when  other  and  more  ex- 
citing duties  devolved  upon  me.  I  recollect  in  this  elec- 
tion less  than  ninety  votes  were  cast,  and  it  was  the  full 
vote  of  the  county.  Less  than  fifteen  years  afterwards, 
nearly  or  quite  four  thousand   votes  were    cast  in   the 


38  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

county,  a  surprising  change  and  a  sad  and  humiliating 
one  to  the  proud  men  who  now  looked  on  in  utter  help- 
lessness, while  their  emancipated  slaves  crowded  them 
from  the  polls.  Elections  before  the  war  were  simple 
affairs  to  what  they  have  since  become  in  Mississippi.  In 
the  election  of  county  officers,  politics  was  unknown; 
Whigs  and  Democrats  ran  as  they  pleased,  and  were 
voted  for  without  regard  to  their  polios.  The  same 
was  true  of  judges,  who  were  then  elefctive.  Only  in 
the  election  of  state  officers,  members  of  the  legislature, 
congress  and  in  presidential  elections  was  the  line  drawn. 
The  river  counties  of  the  state,  and  most,  if  not  all,  of 
the  large  slave-holding  counties,  were  Whigs;  the  others, 
Democrats.  In  general  elections,  the  Whig  counties 
would  be  first  heard  from,  and  the  Whigs  be  often  san- 
guine of  success;  but  wait,  the  Democrats  would  say,  till 
you  hear  from  Tishomingo;  and,  sure  enough,  the  Whigs 
would  nearly  always  be  beaten. 

As  soon  as  the  result  of  the  presidential  election  of 
i860  was  known,  Governor  Pettus  called  the  legislature 
together,  and  that  body  at  once  called  a  convention.  Ex- 
citement ran  high,  and  General  Clark,  now  an  open  and 
avowed  secessionist,  was  a  candidate  for  the  convention, 
his  opponent  being  Mr.  Miles  H.  McGenhee.  There 
was  only  one  question  in  the  canvas,  whether  there 
should  be  separate  state  action  or  whether  the  State  of 
Mississippi  should  await  the  action  of  other  southern 
states,  for  all  were  agreed  that  the  time  for  decisive  ac- 
tion had  come.  On  this  issue,  General  Clark,  who  was 
for  separate  action,  was  defeated,  but  the  convention, 
when  it  met,  was  overwhelmingly  his  way,  and  every 
school  boy  now  knows  the  result. 

All  over  the  state  military  companies  were  formed,  and 
in  Bolivar  a  splendid  cavalry  company,  called  the  Bolivar 
troop,  was  organized,  General  Clark  being  the  captain, 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  39 

and  I  the  ist  lieutenant.  Our  captain  alone  knew  any- 
thing about  drilling  the  company,  for  he  had  served  in 
the  Mexican  war  as  colonel  of  the  Second  Mississippi 
regiment.  He  was  away  a  great  deal,  and  the  work  de- 
volved on  me.  I  applied  myself  with  zeal  to  my  new 
duties,  bought  books  on  military  tactics,  and  was  soon 
able  to  put  up  a  pretty  good  drill.  Later,  when  the  state 
had  seceded,  the  company  was  reorganized  as  a  part  of 
the  army  of  Mississippi,  and  I  was  elected  and  commis- 
sioned its  captain.  It  is  a  fact  overlooked,  or,  at  least,  not 
noticed,  as  far  as  I  have  seen,  that  Mississippi  enjoyed  for 
a  time  the  honor  and  distinction  of  being  an  independent 
nation.  She  dissolved  her  connection  with  the  union  on 
the  9th  of  January,  1S61,  and  formed  no  new  ties  till  she 
entered  the  Southern  Confederacy  by  the  act  of  a  con- 
vention of  delegates  from  the  state  and  other  southern 
states  at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  in  February,  1S61. 

She  had  her  own  army,  commanded  for  a  short  time 
by  Major-General  Jefferson  Davis,  with  four  brigadier- 
generals,  Earl  Van  Dorn,  Charles  Clark,  J.  L.  Alcorn 
and  C.  H.  Mott.  She  also  established  a  custom  house 
at  Commerce  on  the  river  below  Memphis;  perhaps  in 
other  places  which  I  do  not  recall.  All  of  these  great 
men  are  gone,  Mott  being  killed  early  in  the  war.  The 
life  of  Mr.  Davis  is  known 'of  all  men;  of  Generals  Van 
Dorn  and  Alcorn,  I  will  speak  in  other  places,  but  will 
here  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  and  services  of  that 
distinguished  citizen,  Charles  Clark. 

Elsewhere  I  have  said  he  was  a  great  man,  and  so  he 
was  held  by  all  who  knew  him.  Of  an  indomitable  will, 
with  a  courage  which  never  quailed,  with  an  intellectual 
capacity  of  the  highest  order,  trained  and  polished,  but 
always  subservient  to  his  will,  and  with  a  devotion 
to  his  state  which  was  absolutely  unselfish,  no  truer 
patriot  ever  lived  and  no  more  gallant  soldier  ever  drew 


40  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

his  sword.  He  was  born  iu  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  of,  as  I 
have  said  elsewhere,  an  ancestry  which  came  from  Mary- 
land, and  came  to  the  State  of  Mississippi  when  a  very 
young  man,  teaching  school  at  first,  but  reading  law  at 
the  same  time.  As  soon  as  he  received  his  license,  he 
opened  an  office  in  Fayette,  and  rose  at  once  to  the  front 
ranks  of  his  profession,  the  cotemporary  and  equal  of  the 
great  lawyers  of  that  day.  He  served  in  the  legislature 
both  from  Jefferson  county  and  afterwards  from  Bolivar. 
He  was  colonel  of  the  Second  Mississippi  regiment  in 
Mexico,  and  though  the  regiment  was  never  in  action, 
he  returned  with  the  reputation  of  being  a  thorough 
soldier.  He  was  early  appointed  by  Mr.  Davis  a  brig- 
adier-general in  the  Confederate  army,  and  commanded 
a  division  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  where  he  was  wounded 
in  the  shoulder,  carrying  the  bullet  with  him  to  the  grave. 
He  also  commanded  a  division  at  the  battle  of  Baton 
Rouge.  In  this  battle  he  received  the  wound  which  con- 
fined him  to  his  bed  for  many  months,  and  from  which 
he  never  recovered.  He  has  often  told  me  that  both  he 
and  General  Breckenridge,  who  commanded  in  the  battle, 
disapproved  of  the  attack  at  Baton  Rouge,  believing  the 
place  untenable,  if  the  assault  were  successful,  but  it  was 
ordered  and  a  soldier  must  obey.  General  Clark  was  left 
on  the  field  too  desperately  wounded  to  be  moved.  He 
was  carried  into  the  city  by  the  federals,  and  at  his  re- 
quest was  placed  on  a  boat  and  sent  to  New  Orleans, 
where  he  could  have  the  services  of  his  old  friend,  Dr. 
Stone,  an  eminent  surgeon  of  that  day.  His  wife  was 
permitted  to  go  to  him,  and  under  their  joint  care  in  a 
few  months  he  was  exchanged  and  able  to  return  to 
Mississippi,  though  it  was  long  before  he  was  able  to 
walk  even  on  crutches;  indeed,  as  long  as  he  lived  he 
had  to  use  one  at  least.  At  the  election  of  1863,  he  was 
elected  governor,    and   this   trying  position   he  held  till 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  4 1 

forced  by  federal  bayonets  to  yield.  He  was  literally 
ejected  from  his  office  by  force,  refusing  to  give  it  up 
on  demand,  for  he  said  he  had  received  it  from  the 
people  of  the  state  and  to  them  alone  would  he  sur- 
render it.  General  T.  J.  Wharton,  not  long  since  gone 
to  his  reward,  then  the  attorney-general  of  the  state, 
has  often  described  to  me  the  scene  when  the  federals 
marched  into  the  office,  and  the  old  hero,  tall  and  com- 
manding even  on  his  crutches,  stood  in  the  door  and  de- 
nounced the  outrage,  as  one  worth}'  a  painter's  highest 
skill.  He  was  taken  to  Fort  Pulaski  and  there  confined 
with  other  distinguished  southerners,  but  was  finally  per- 
mitted to  return  home.  He  resumed  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  and  continued  in  the  quiet  pursuits  of  private 
life  till  the  summer  of  1S75,  when  he  took  an  active 
part  in  the  redemption  of  the  state  from  the  blighting 
effects  of  carpet  bag  rule.  The  people  of  the  state  had 
almost  lost  hope,  but  gathering  courage  from  despair,  a 
tax-payers'  convention  was  called  and  held  in  Jackson 
the  summer  of  that  year,  and  General  Clark,  a  delegate 
from  Bolivar,  was  elected  chairman.  This  was  the  en- 
tering wedge;  the  people  then  rose  in  their  might  and 
white  supremacy  was  restored  forever  in  the  state  by 
the  election  of  that  year.  General  Clark  was  then  ap- 
pointed chancellor  of  his  district,  and  held  this  office  till 
his  death  about  two  years  later.  It  was  my  privilege  to 
be  with  him  in  his  last  hours,  for  it  is  a  privilege  to  see 
a  brave  and  good  man  die.  He  could  not  speak  when  I 
arrived  at  his  house,  but  his  clear,  bright  eyes  showed 
the  conscious  soul  within,  and  as  he  turned  them  on  me, 
I  would  have  given  worlds  if  he  could  then  have  spoken. 
He  sleeps  his  last  sleep  on  a  high  mound,  built  by  some 
ancient  and  long  forgotten  race,  but  as  long  as  the  his- 
tory of  the  state  is  read,  his  name  and  fame  wall  live. 
Two  or  three  years  after  the  war  had  ended  he  had 


42  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

occasion  to  visit  Natchez  and  was  accompanied  by  his 
son-in-law,  Major  W.  E.  Montgomery.  They  took  pass- 
age on  a  Cincinnati  boat.  Among  the  passengers  hap- 
pened to  be  a  gentleman  who  had  been  a  federal  officer, 
and  in  the  battle  of  Baton  Rouge.  This  gentleman  and 
General  Clark  soon  became  known  to  each  other,  and 
were  talking  about  that  battle  when  some  northern  man 
on  the  boat  who  had  been  imbibing  too  freely  interrupted 
them  by  contradicting  a  statement  the  General  made  in  a 
very  insulting  manner,  saying,  "old  man,  thataint  true." 
The  General  then  could  walk  with  one  crutch  and  a  cane, 
a  heavy  lignum  vitae,  and  he  rose  suddenly  to  his  feet 
and  before  the  fellow  could  get  out  of  reach  brought  the 
cane  down  on  his  head  with  such  force  as  to  shiver  it, 
and  for  a  while  render  him  senseless.  There  was  great 
excitement  for  a  time,  but  it  was  generally  agreed  that 
the  punishment  was  well  deserved,  and  the  rest  of  the 
trip  was  pursued  in  peace.  I  have  this  account  from 
Major  Montgomery  who  saw  it.  Some  years  later  there 
was  a  sequel  to  it.  In  the  summer  of  1876,  Gen.  Clark 
paid  a  visit  to  a  daughter  then  living  in  California,  and  on 
return  changed  cars,  I  believe,  at  Omaha.  After  he  had 
got  his  seat  and  made  himself  comfortable  on  the  sleeper, 
the  conductor  told  him  he  must  change  his  seat,  which  he 
refused  to  do.  The  conductor  got  angry  and  insulting, 
and  said  he  would  make  him  do  it,  and  went  off  to  get  the 
help.  The  negro  porter  on  the  car  who  had  been  looking 
on,  now  came  up  and  asked  him  if  he  were  not  Gov- 
ernor Clark  of  Mississippi.  The  General  was  a  good  deal 
surprised,  but  told  him  he  was,  whereupon  the  porter  told 
him  that  he  was  a  porter  on  the  steamboat,  when  he 
knocked  the  man  down  and  remembered  him.  The  por- 
ter then  went  off  in  search  of  the  conductor  and  told  him 
what  he  knew,  and  he  was  not  further  disturbed  but  was 
kindly  treated,  especially  by  the  porter  who  could  not  do 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  43 

too  much  for  him.  I  asked  the  General  when  he  told  me 
the  incident,  what  he  would  have  done  if  the  conductor 
had  tried  to  put  his  threat  into  execution,  and  he  said  he 
would  have  made  the  best  fight  he  could  with  his  crutches; 
he  had  them  both  on  this  trip,  and  no  cane,  and  of  course 
carried  no  arms.  He  certainly  would  have  made  the 
fight  if  it  had  cost  him  his  life. 


44  REMINISCENCES   OF    A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Trip  to  New  Orleans — Company  in  camp — An  old  soldier's  popu- 
larity and  final  fate — Take  company  to  Memphis — Roster  of 
company — General  Pillow — General  William  T.  Martin — An- 
ecdote— Whether  negro  or  white  man — Life  dependent  on  the 
question — Ordered  to  Union  City. 

My  company  was  for  the  times  well  armed,  the 
arms  furnished  by  the  state.  We  had  sabers,  Colt's  re- 
volvers, and  Maynard  rifles,  a  breech-loading  gun  with 
a  metal  cartridge.  Each  man  furnished  his  own  horse, 
and  it  was  splendidly  mounted.  I  wanted  only  tents, 
for  I  was  anxious  to  get  the  men  into  camp  and  learn 
some  of  the  practical  duties  of  soldier  life.  The  state 
did  not  have  them  to  spare,  but  there  was  no  lack  of 
means  to  buy  them;  for  besides  that  many  of  the  officers 
and  men  wTere  well  to  do,  the  board  of  police  gave  us 
five  thousand  dollars,  for  which  it  must  be  confessed 
they  had  no  warrant,  but  they  had  the  money  and  every- 
body approved  it.  While  the  state  was  still  a  nation, 
in  the  month  of  January  I  went  to  New  Orleans  to  see 
if  I  could  get  tents,  and  on  this  trip  my  wife  went  with 
me.  When  we  got  to  Vicksburg  she  for  a  time  wished 
she  had  stayed  at  home,  for  it  looked  warlike  indeed. 
As  our  boat  got  in  front  of  the  city  a  cannon  was  fired 
across  the  bows,  perhaps  two,  to  gently  remind  us  that 
the  state  authorities  desired  to  know  what  we  were 
after  in  that  part  of  the  river.  The  boat  was  going 
to  land  any  way,  and  the  powder  had  as  well  have 
been  saved  for  more  urgent  need  in  the  days  which  were 
to  come.     This  gun,  as  I  learned  afterwards,  was  under 


dJZ&d^.  cx^^^jkmj^ 


FIRST  MISSISSIPPI   CAVALRY, 
Age  31. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  45 

the  command  of  Colonel  Horace  Miller,  as  he  afterwards 
became,  a  gentleman  I  knew  well  and  esteemed  highly. 
We  got  to  New  Orleans  without  further  interruption.  I 
got  my  tents,  and  very  fine  ones,  by  the  aid  of  that 
splendid  gentleman  and  afterwards  gallant  soldier,  Gen- 
eral Wirt  Adams,  who  was  a  banker  in  Vicksburg  and 
also,  I  believe,  was  in  business  in  Xew  Orleans.  My 
funds  were  deposited  with  him,  and  he  finally  got  me 
the  tents.  While  there  I  found  and  bought  handsome 
officers  sabers  for  myself  and  lieutenants,  and  later  on  in 
this  story  I  will  tell  what  became  of  mine.  I  also  got 
handsome  cavalry  saddles  for  myself  and  officers,  but 
could  not  get  them  for  the  men. 

When  I  got  my  tents  home  I  at  once  ordered  the  com- 
pany into  camp,  aud  they  came  promptly.  But  an 
amusing  difficulty  presented  itself:  none  of  us  had  ever 
pitched  a  tent,  except  one  man,  and  he  had  not  yet 
come.  He  was  not  long,  however,  and  when  he  came 
soon  set  us  all  straight.  His  name  was  Milford  Coe, 
and  lie  had  been  a  member  of  the  second  Mississippi 
regiment  in  Mexico,  hence  knew  something  about  army 
camp  life.  He  was  at  the  time  an  overseer  in  the  county, 
and  was  very  well  liked  by  those  who  knew  him.  His 
knowledge  of  camp  life  made  him  for  a  time  very  popular, 
but  after  he  had  been  in  service  a  few  months  he  was  so 
much  disliked  that  I  procured  a  discharge  for  him.  He 
returned  home,  and  early  in  the  next  year  located  him- 
self on  Island  Seventy-Six,  opposite  the  town  of  Bolivar, 
and  gathered  around  him  a  gang  of  desperadoes,  negroes 
and  whites,  and  began  systematically  to  prey  upon  the 
people  on  the  main  land,  who  finally  organized  a  force, 
and,  after  capturing  him,  brought  him  over  and  shot  him 
to  death  in  a  cane  brake,  where  his  bones  were  left  to 
bleach,  a  well  deserved  fate.  I  kept  my  men  in  camp, 
in  fact,  never  broke  it,  till  I  finally  got  away.     Meantime 


46  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

events  were  rapidly  drawing  to  a  crisis  between  the 
United  States  and  the  young  confederacy,  and  the  hope 
of  peace  which  many  had  entertained  was  being  fast  dis- 
pelled. Some  infantry  regiments  had  been  organized 
and  were  ordered  to  Pensacola  and  to  Charleston,  where 
General  Beauregard  was  in  command,  and  where  it  was 
supposed  the  first  collisions  would  occnr. 

My  men  were  getting  impatient  to  be  away,  and  I  was 
myself,  for  about  that  time  some  business  took  me  to 
Jackson,  and  while  there  several  companies  passed  through 
on  their  way  to  Pensacola,  and  it  was  all  I  could  do  un- 
der the  excitement,  and  the  influence  of  the  inspiring 
music  of  the  fife  and  drum  (to  me  yet  the  most  exciting 
music  in  the  world),  to  refrain  from  getting  on  the  cars 
and  going  with  them.  I  sent  Lieutenant  Bell,  of  my 
company,  to  Montgomery  to  see  if  I  could  get  the  com- 
pany ordered  into  service,  but  the  authorities  were  not 
yet  ready  to  receive  cavalry.  Lieutenant  Bell  was  a 
nephew  of  John  Bell,  the  last  Whig  candidate  for  presi- 
dent, which  great  party  was  lost  and  destro3Ted  forever  in 
the  great  campaign  of  i860.  Meantime  war  had  actually 
commenced  by  the  reduction  of  Fort  Sumter  and  the 
call  by  Mr.  Lincoln  for  seventy-five  thousand  volunteers. 
The  capital  of  the  confederacy  had  been  moved  to  Rich- 
mond, and  many  troops  were  being  hurried  to  that  place, 
but  still  there  was  no  special  demand  for  cavalry.  The 
State  of  Tennessee  had  seceded  and  was  raising  an  army, 
though  it  had  not  yet  joined  the  confederacy.  General 
Gideon  J.  Pillow  was  placed  in  command  of  it,  and  had 
his  headquarters  in  Memphis.  I  went  to  see  him  and 
offered  him  my  company  with  the  understanding,  when 
the  army  of  Tennessee  was  turned  over  to  the  confeder- 
acy, it  should  be  distinctly  recognized  as  part  of  Missis- 
sippi's troops,  and  to  this  he  readily  agreed. 

I  returned  at  once,  and  soon  had  the  company  ready  to 


IN   PEACE   AND   WAR.  47 

embark  on  a  boat  I  had  engaged  to  take  us  to  Memphis. 
I  took  my  leave  of  home  and  wife  and  children,  then  six 
in  number,  the  eldest  about  eleven  years  old,  to  which 
number  was  to  be  added  in  about  two  months  another. 
I  do  not  suppose  it  would  have  made  any  difference,  but 
I  did  not  dream  when  I  left  that  I  was  not  to  see  them 
again  except  on  brief  visits  and  at  rare  intervals  for  four 
long  years.  How  could  I  ?  Each  side  went  into  that 
long  and  bloody  war  with  a  supreme  contempt  for  the 
courage  and  resources  of  the  other,  though  of  course  on 
both  sides  there  were  thoughtful  and  well-informed  men, 
who  knew  that  when  once  the  sword  was  unsheathed, 
only  complete  victory  for  one  side  or  the  other  would  end 
the  war.  I  got  my  men  together  mostly  at  the  town  of 
Prentiss,  the  county  site,  there  to  take  boat,  I  myself  to 
join  them  a  few  miles  above  at  my  own  landing,  Beulah. 
I  wish  I  had  a  complete  roster  of  the  company  as  it  was 
mustered  into  service  a  few  days  later  at  Memphis,  but 
this  I  have  not,  but  fortunately  I  have,  in  a  clipping  from 
the  county  paper  of  that  day,  a  list  of  all  those  who  em- 
barked at  Prentiss  and  Beulah,  sixty-eight  in  number  at 
those  two  points.  These  names  I  here  record,  and  will 
add  others  who  joined  me  at  other  landings  in  the  county 
or  in  Memphis,  bringing  the  company  up  to  about  one 
hundred  officers  and  men.  I  deeply  regret  that  I  cannot 
recall  the  names  of  each  one  of  these  last,  of  whom  I  have 
no  written  memoranda.  But  this  was  thirty-nine  years 
ago,  and  it  is  surprising  to  myself  that  I  remember  so 
many.     The  names  follow: 

F.  A.  Montgomery,  Capt.,  S.  G.  Cooke,  2d  Serg., 

D.  C.  Herndon,  1st  Lieut.,  Livingston  Lobdell,  3d  Serg., 

Lafayette  Jones,  2d  Lieut.,  A.  G.  Harris,  4th  Serg., 

Dickinson  Bell,  3d  Lieut.,  F.  A  Gayden,  5th  Serg., 

S.  A.  Starke,  Ord.  Serg.  John  Lawler,  1st  Corp. 


48 


REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


Orrin  Kingsley,  2d  Corp., 
T.  W:  Darden,  3d.  Corp., 
Harry  Bridges,  4th  Corp., 

Privates: 
Gadi  Herren, 
J.  N.  Philpot, 
E.  Norton, 
Jos.  Orr, 
John  Thompson, 
William  Barker, 
Milford  Coe, 
T.   L.  Yarbrougher, 
S.  D.  G.  Niles, 
T.  W.  Hume, 
Enoch  Curtiss, 
T.  R.  McGuire, 
John  B.  Stewart, 
William  O'Brien, 
Patrick  Hullens, 
Henry  G.  Reneau, 
John  Debrouler, 
N.  McCullough, 
James  Heath, 
L.  M.  Hunter, 
John  C.  Miller, 
Theo.  Frank, 
R.  A.  Looney, 
S.  F.  Jenn, 
T.  H.  Spencer, 


John  Sherrer, 
Matt.  Downs, 
John  Dickey, 
D.  C.  Montgomery, 
T.  J.  Bouge, 
J.  H.  Brown, 
Henry  P.  Goodrich, 
William  Glass, 
H.  H.  Irwin, 
James  Mattingly, 
A.  Eatman, 
William  Peake, 
William  Bridges, 
Frank  Tully, 
L.  M.  Sykes, 
D.  W.  Davidson, 
P.  M.  Davidson, 
Thomas  Graham, 
A.  B.  Justice, 
W.  N.  Stansell, 
J.  J.  Ross, 
Geo.  Roden, 
A.  B.  Conner, 
O.  P.  Bishop, 
J.  M.  Boroman, 
R.  C.  Miller, 
Joseph  H.  Newman, 
New. 


Others  of  the  original  company  whose  names  I  recall, 
absent  at  the  time,  or  who  joined  immediately  after- 
wards, were  Clay  Kingsley  and  David  Reinach,  of  Boli- 
var, J.  M.  and  Will.  Montgomery  and  Will.  Mason 
Worthingtou,   Bert,  Will.   W.,  Ed.  and  Ben.  Worthing- 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  49 

ton,  from  Washington  county,  and  Alf.  Saunders,  Charley 

Saunders  and Trawiek,  from  Arkansas.     To  these 

were  soon  added  Charles  C.  Farrar,  then  of  Ohio,  a 
nephew  of  my  wife,  who  made  haste  to  join  me,  and 
\V.  A.  Alcorn,  from  Coahoma  county;  also,  Charley 
Worthington,  of  Washington.  It  may  be  I  may  re- 
member others  of  the  original  company,  but  there  were  but 
few  more,  since  the  names  I  have  given  made  almost  or 
quite  a  full  company,  according  to  the  army  regulations 
of  those  days  as  I  remember  them. 

Of  the  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  of  this 
splendid  company  who  went  out  with  me,  I  alone  am 
left  to  linger  for  a  short  while  longer  on  the  shores  of 
time.  Of  the  men,  not  a  dozen  now  survive.  Many  were 
killed  in  battle;  some  died  with  disease  during  the  war, 
and  the  remains  of  these  lie  in  half  a  dozen  different  states. 
They  gave  their  lives  for  the  cause  they  loved,  and  shame 
on  the  man  who  would  now  say  they  were  wrong.  Of 
the  remnant  who  returned  home,  one  by  one  they  have 
gone  to  join  the  majority,  till  as  I  have  said  not  a  dozen 
now  survive.  Bolivar  county  furnished  other  companies 
to  the  confederacy — the  McGehee  Rifles,  Captain,  after- 
wards Colonel  Brown,  commanding;  a  cavalry  company, 
Captain  Mason,  afterwards  Captain  Shelby,  a  splendid 
company  officered  by  young  planters  of  the  county,  and 
composed  of  light-hearted  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
Captain  Martin,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Sharps- 
burg.  Lieutenant  Miller,  of  that  company,  and  one  old, 
disabled  soldier,  Mike  Monahan,  now  the  care  of  the 
kind-hearted,  are  all  of  that  company  living  here,  per- 
haps the  only  two  now  living. 

We  reached  Memphis  one  morning  in  May,  1861,  and 
I  at  once  reported  to  General  Pillow,  who  ordered  me  to 
put  my  command  in  camp  at  the  fair  grounds,  and  gave 
4 


50  REMINISCENCES  OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

me  transportation  for  my  tents  and  baggage.  I  went  to  the 
boat  and  directed  Lieutenant  Jones  to  take  the  company 
to  the  camp,  First  Lieutenant  Herndon  having  his  family 
with  him  to  look  after.  I  was  myself  detained  looking 
after  quartermaster  and  commissary  matters.  But  few 
of  the  men  had  saddles,  as  I  expected  to  be  able  to  get  a 
uniform  saddle  for  the  whole  company,  and  therefore  had 
instructed  them  not  to  bring  their  saddles.  As  soon  as  I 
could  I  hastened  to  follow  them,  and  overtook  them  just 
as  they  turned  out  of  Main  street.  They  formed  a  long, 
straggling  column,  some  mounted  bare-back,  others  lead- 
ing their  horses,  all  encumbered  with  baggage  besides 
their  arms,  and  presented  a  ludicrous  appearance. 
Lieutenant  Jones  was  riding  at  the  head  of  the  column, 
mounted  on  a  fine  gray  horse,  and  just  as  I  got  in  sight 
of  him  he  turned  in  his  saddle  and  gave  the  command, 
"draw  saber,"  and  a  scene  of  confusion  ensued  which 
provoked  me  to  laughter,  though  I  was  vexed  and  morti- 
fied. The  men  tried  to  obey,  and  every  man  began  to 
tug  at  his  saber,  whether  mounted  or  unmounted.  I,  of 
course,  put  an  end  to  the  scene  as  soon  as  I  could,  and 
the  truth  was  the  lieutenant  wholly  forgot  for  the  time 
being  the  condition  of  his  command  and  what  he  was 
ordered  to  do,  and  thought  he  was  on  drill.  We  soon  ar- 
rived at  our  camping  ground,  and  in  a  short  time  had 
tents  pitched,  rations  and  forage  issued,  guards  stationed, 
and  for  the  first  time  we  felt  we  were  soldiers. 

I  found  already  in  camp  at  the  grounds  a  fine  cavalry 
company  from  Natchez,  commanded  by  Captain,  after- 
wards Major-General,  William  T.  Martin.  I  had  known 
and  admired  him  when  I  lived  in  Jefferson  county,  as  a 
fine  lawyer,  and  once  just  as  I  was  of  age  served  on  a 
jury  where  he  was  employed  for  the  prosecution,  and 
which  was  of  so  much  interest  to  me  that  I  will  briefly 
state  the  case.     It  has  never  been  reported,  for  in  fact 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  5 1 

only  one  question  in  the  case  was  ever  settled  and  that 
was  the  issue  tried  before  my  jury.  There  was  a  free 
mulatto  negro  named  Johnson  living  in  Natchez,  a  barber 
that  every  one  liked,  and  he  acquired  a  little  property 
somewhere  on  the  river,  not  far  from  Natchez,  and  near 
a  plantation  owned  by  a  man  named  Wynn.  This  man 
was  quite  well-to-do,  owning  a  plantation  and  about 
thirty  slave  hands,  as  it  was  said.  Johnson  went  one  day 
to  his  little  place  accompanied  by  a  mulatto  boy  about  six- 
teen years  old  he  had  in  his  shop.  This  boy  returned  to 
town  saying  that  Wynn  had,  as  they  were  riding  along 
the  road,  stepped  from  behind  a  tree  and  shot  Johnson, 
and  his  body  was  found  where  the  boy  said  it  was. 
Wynn  was  arrested  and  put  in  jail  and  soon  after  in- 
dicted for  the  murder.  The  indictment  described  him  as 
a  mulatto,  and  though  he  had  married  a  white  woman, 
that  he  had  in  some  other  county  persuaded  to  inarry 
him,  he  had  generally  been  considered  of  African  descent, 
where  he  was  best  known.  To  this  indictment  a  plea  in 
abatement  had  been  interposed,  the  defense  claiming  that 
he  was  not  a  negro  under  the  law,  as  it  was  claimed  he 
had  less  than  one- fourth  negro  blood  in  his  veins.  If  this 
was  true  there  was  no  direct  evidence  against  him,  as 
he  would  be  a  white  man  under  the  law,  and  the  testi- 
mony of  the  mulatto  boy  who  saw  the  shot  could  not  be 
taken — the  testimony  of  negroes  not  then  being  admis- 
sible against  white  people.  There  was  a  change  of 
venue  to  Jefferson  county  on  this  issue.  The  jury  was 
kept  together  for  a  week  and  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
testimony,  but  Judge  Posey,  one  of  the  able  judges  of 
the  olden  time,  instructed  the  jury  that  the  burden  of 
proof  was  on  the  state,  and  the  jury  found  for  the  de- 
fendant. 

General  Martin's  speech  was  one  of  the  ablest   I  ever 
heard,  and  though  it  took,  as  I  remember,  three  or  more 


52  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

hours  in  the  delivery,  the  attention  of  the  jury  never 
wavered.  The  indictment  was  quashed  and  Wynn  after- 
wards indicted  as  a  white  man,  but  I  believe  got  bail 
and  was  never  brought  to  trial. 

We  remained  at  this  camp  about  two  weeks,  and  I 
succeeded  in  getting  pretty  fair  saddles  for  the  company, 
so  that  when  we  left  we  made  a  very  soldier-like  appear- 
ance. I  devoted  all  the  time  I  could  to  drilling  the  com- 
company,  but  beyond  this  nothing  of  any  special  interest 
occurred  while  we  remained  at  that  camp.  I  was  ordered 
to  Union  City,  Tennessee,  and  Captain  Martin's  company 
to  Richmond,  Virginia,  about  the  same  time,  so  we  were 
never  together  again  during  the  war. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  53 


CHAPTER  VII. 

General  Frank  Cheatham — First  Mississippi  Cavalry  Battalion, 
Major  Miller — General  Cheatham's  staff — Battle  of  Manassas, 
war  over — Occupation  of  New  Madrid — Brigadier-General  M. 
Jeff.  Thompson,  Missouri  State  Guard — His  army — Evacuate 
New  Madrid — Return  next  day— Scout  to  Charleston — Lose  a 
man,  captured— Great  excitement  at  home  over  this — Hick- 
man, Kentucky — Gunboats — Captain  Marsh  Miller  and  the 
Grampus — Columbus,  battalion  increased. 

My  baggage,  or  most  of  it,  I  sent  by  rail  to  Union  City, 
and,  with  a  squad  under  a  lieutenant  with  a  few  sick, 
marched  with  the  main  body  of  the  company  to  my 
destination.  General  Pillow  supplied  me  with  what 
wagons  and,  indeed,  all  I  needed  in  profusion,  and  I 
made  the  march  leisurely,  arriving  on  the  fifth  day.  I 
found  a  place  selected  for  my  camp  and  occupied  by  the 
men  I  had  sent  before.  I  was  ordered  to  report  to  Gen- 
eral Frank  Cheatham,  who  was  in  command  of  the  Ten- 
nessee forces  at  that  place,  of  whom  there  were  at  the 
time  several  thousand,  as  were  also  several  infantry  regi- 
ments from  Mississippi  belonging  to  the  confederate 
army,  but  these  were  under  the  command  of  General 
Clark,  whose  headquarters  was  then  at  Corinth.  I 
found  also  several  companies  of  cavalry  from  Mississippi, 
which  were  attached  to  General  Cheatham's  command, 
with  the  same  agreement  I  had.  One  of  these  com- 
panies and  a  very  large  one  from  Pontotoc  county,  was 
commanded  by  Captain  Miller,  and  the  other  from  Lafay- 
ette county  commanded  by  Captain  Jack  Bowles.  These 
companies  with  mine  were  organized  into  a  battalion, 
and  Captain  Miller  was  elected  its  major.     Very  soon 


54  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

after  this  the  Tennessee  forces  were  turned  over  to  the 
confederacy,  and  our  battalion  was  known  as  the  First 
Battalion  of  Mississippi  Cavalry,  which  number  it  re- 
tained as  other  companies  were  from  time  to  time  in  the 
course  of  the  next  few  months  added  till  there  were 
ten,  and  from  that  time  on  for  all  time  was  to  be  known 
as  the  First  Mississippi  Cavalry  regiment.  But  this  is 
anticipating.  Major  Miller  was  a  Presbyterian  divine 
about  I  think  fifty  years  old,  but  as  full  of  military  ardor 
as  the  youngest  man  of  his  command.  When  the  Ten- 
nessee forces  were  turned  over  to  the  confederacy,  Gen- 
eral Pillow  received  a  commission  as  brigadier-general  in 
the  confederate  army,  but  remained  for  a  time  at  Mem- 
phis, while  General  Cheatham  received  the  same  rank 
and  remained  in  command  of  the  army  at  Union  City. 
General  Cheatham  was  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  war, 
and  I  found  him  to  be  a  frank  and  genial  soldier,  and 
for  him  and  his  staff,  Colonel  Porter  and  Captain  Frank 
McNairy,  those  with  whom  I  had  most  to  do,  I  formed 
from  the  first  the  highest  opinion,  and  among  my  most 
pleasant  recollections  of  the  war  is  my  association  with 
them,  which  was  to  continue  closely  till  after  the  evacua- 
tion of  Columbus,  Kentucky,  early  in  March  as  I  re- 
member, or  the  last  of  February  in  1862,  after  the  fall  of 
Fort  Donelson. 

Our  time  at  Union  City  was  occupied  with  constant 
drills  and  reviews,  with  much  impatience  among  the  men 
to  be  closer  to  the  enemy.  But  this  was  by  no  means 
time  lost,  for  neither  officers  nor  men  with  the  rarest  ex- 
ceptions knew  anything  whatever  about  the  duties  they 
had  to  perform.  The  camp  was  in  a  constant  state  of 
excitement  from  news  of  fights  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  in  Virginia,  South  Carolina  and  Missouri,  and 
in  fact  all  along  our  border. 

At  last  came  the  news  of  the  first  battle  of  Manassas 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  55 

and  the  utter  rout  of  the  federal  forces,  and  the  almost 
universal  opinion  among  the  men  at  Union  City  was  that 
the  war  was  over,  and  that  they  would  be  compelled  to 
go  home  without  having  seen  an  enemy  or  having  fired 
a  shot,  and  there  was  general  disgust  at  the  thought. 

We  little  knew  the  grim  determination  of  the  northern 
people,  and  they  as  little  understood  the  fixed  purpose 
of  the  south.  In  fact,  in  neither  north  nor  south  was  any 
thought  given  to  that  bull  dog  tenacity  which  belongs 
to  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  to  which  both  sides  belonged. 
Like  Paul  Jones,  when  summoned  to  surrender  by  the 
captain  of  the  Serapis,  we  had  but  "just  begun  to  fight." 

At  last,  one  day  early  in  August  (I  write  from  mem- 
ory, for  such  memoranda  as  I  once  had  were  destroyed 
in  the  burning  of  my  office  some  years  ago,  and  so  far  as 
I  have  been  able  to  find,  history  makes  no  mention  of  the 
movement  I  am  now  to  describe),  all  baggage,  including 
tents  and  most  of  the  ammunition,  was  ordered  placed  on 
the  cars  for  Memphis.  The  men  were  ordered  to  take 
three  or  four  days'  cooked  rations,  and  a  fixed  number  of 
rounds  of  ammunition  to  the  man,  and  prepare  to  move. 
Many  were  the  speculations  indulged  in,  but  except  at 
headquarters  none  knew  the  purpose  of  the  move  or  the 
destination  of  the  army.  At  last  we  moved  almost  due 
west,  and  in  a  few  days  found  ourselves  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mississippi  river  a  few  miles  below  New  Madrid,  Mis- 
souri, and  then  embarking  on  boats  waiting  for  us,  in  a 
few  hours  were  landed  at  that  place.  Here  in  a  few  days 
was  concentrated  a  force  of  about  ten  thousand  men  of  all 
arms  (rumor  made  them  many  more),  and  here  we  felt 
we  were  close  to  the  enemy,  for  every  day  we  had  rumors 
of  fights  between  what  was  said  to  be  a  large  force  of  men 
composed  of  Indians  and  Missourians  under  Brigadier- 
General  M.  Jeff.  Thompson,  of  the  Missouri  state  guards, 
and  the  federal  troops.     He  was  said  to  be  sometimes  near 


56  REMINISCENCES    OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

Charleston  and  sometimes  near  Sykeston,  one  place  about 
twenty-five  miles  north  and  the  other  same  distance  west  of 
New  Madrid,  but  we  never  saw  his  forces,  though  a  few 
men  without  uniform  of  any  kind,  and  armed  with  double- 
barreled  guns,  would  now  and  then  be  seen  about  the  camp, 
who  were  said  to  be  Jeff  .Thompson's  men.  General  Thomp- 
son, I  one  day  saw,  as  he  was  riding  through  the  camp 
on  his  way,  as  it  was  said,  to  his  own  forces.  The  stories 
told  about  him  and  his  army  and  fights  were  many  and 
curious,  and  the  fiction  as  to  his  Indian  soldiers  was  kept 
up  for  a  long  time,  and  even  when  in  the  summer  of  1 862 
he  was  in  Mississippi,  where  I  came  directly  into  associa- 
tion with  him  under  peculiar  circumstances. 

General  Pillow  came  to  New  Madrid,  and  assumed  per- 
sonal command  of  the  army,  and  it  was  supposed  we  were 
about  to  march  from  that  place  on  St.  Louis.  To  give 
more  color  to  this  rumor,  Major  Miller  was  ordered  with 
all  the  cavalry,  except  my  company,  which  was  retained 
for  picket  and  scouting,  to  join  General  Thompson  a  short 
distance  west  of  Sykeston,  and  a  brigade  of  infantry  and 
a  battery  of  artillery,  with  an  ammunition  train  of  some 
twenty  wagons,  with  my  company  to  guard  them,  was 
ordered  to  Sykeston.  However,  we  remained  only  a  few 
days  in  Sykeston,  when  we  were  ordered  back,  and  in  a 
day  or  two  Major  Miller  was  also  ordered  back.  There 
were  constant  alarms  in  camp,  and  we  were  kept  on  the 
qui  vive  all  the  time,  it  being  said  the  enemy  was  prepar- 
ing to  bring  a  large  force  down  the  river,  supported  by 
gunboats,  and  whenever  a  smoke  was  seen  up  the  river 
everybody  was  on  the  alert.  And  now  occurred  a  curious 
move  for  which  there  was  no  doubt  good  reasons,  though 
no  one  knew  what  they  were. 

The  tents  were  struck  and  with  the  baggage  put  on 
boats,  of  which  there  were  quite  a  number,  the  infantry 
and  artillery  embarked,  and  the  cavalry  ordered  to  march 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  57 

down  the  river.  We  went  some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 
and  then  bivouaced  on  the  bank  of  the  river  for  the  night 
with  the  boats  tied  up  near  us.  Next  morning  we  were 
ordered  back,  boats  and  all.  It  reminded  me  of  the  king 
of  France,  who  with  "  twenty  thousand  men  marched  up 
the  hill  and  then  marched  down  again. ' ' 

Soon  after  we  got  back  Captain  Bowles  proposed  to  me 
that  we  should  each  take  a  squad  of  twenty-five  men  and 
make  a  scout  to  Charleston.  He  said  he  had  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  two  lieutenants  of  Jeff  Thompson's  men 
who  lived  in  that  place  or  near  it  and  would  guide  us.  His 
idea  was  that  the  federals  at  Birds'  Point  opposite  Cairo, and 
some  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  Charleston,  had  no  doubt 
heard  of  our  move  down  the  river,  but  had  not  heard  of 
our  return  and  that  we  might  succeed  in  surprising  a 
scouting  party,  as  it  was  known  federal  scouts  often 
came  to  that  place.  I  was  willing  and  Major  Miller 
consenting  I  went  to  see  General  Pillow,  who  was 
pleased  with  the  idea,  and  giving  me  his  instructions, 
especially  to  bring  him  back  some  prisoners,  we  got 
away  at  once.  We  marched  nearly  all  that  night,  and 
next  day  lay  in  a  secluded  place  not  far  from  Charles- 
ton all  day,  though  it  was  not  easy  to  find  in  that  open 
country,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  I  have  ever  seen,  a 
good  hiding  place.  Our  plan  was  at  night  each  to  take 
one  of  the  Missouri  lieutenants  and  picket  two  roads 
leading  into  Charleston  from  Birds'  Point,  along  either 
of  which,  according  to  our  guides,  a  party  was  likely  to 
come,  and  which  we  hoped  to  surprise. 

While  we  were  waiting  for  night  to  come  I  heard  one 
of  my  men,  Frank  Gayden,  talking  about  what  he  in- 
tended to  do  if  he  met  the  Yankees,  as  he  called  them. 
He  never  intended  to  take  a  prisoner,  he  would  kill  every 
one  he  got  hold  of.  I  remonstrated  wTith  him  for  his 
blood-thirsty  talk,  and  asked  him  how  he  would  like  to 


58  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

have  his  intentions  carried  out  against  himself  if  he 
should  be  captured.  That  he  said  would  never  be,  he 
would  never  be  taken  alive.  Twelve  hours  more  was  to 
put  him  to  the  test.  Nothing  happened  to  disturb  the 
quiet  of  m)'  watch  on  the  road  I  was  guarding,  and 
after  waiting  for  some  hours  after  daylight  I  concluded 
if  a  scout  had  that  morning  come  out  it  must  have  taken 
the  other  road,  and  that  perhaps  Captain  Bowles  had 
been  more  fortunate,  and  so  I  directed  the  lieutenant  I 
had  with  me  (I  remember  his  name  was  Gooden)  to  take 
me  to  a  quiet  place  not  far  from  Charleston,  into  which 
place  I  proposed  to  go  later  in  the  day,  and  where  we 
could  get  some  sleep,  for  we  had  but  little  for  two 
nights.  He  guided  me  to  a  skirt  of  woods  about  a  mile 
from  Charleston,  which  was  in  full  view  across  an  open 
field,  and  then  proposed  with  two  or  three  men  he  had 
with  him  to  picket  the  roads  for  me.  Having  confidence 
in  him  I  consented,  directing  him  if  he  got  any  news  of 
the  enemy  to  let  me  know  at  once.  Feeling  secure  I 
went  to  sleep,  as  did,  I  thought,  all  the  men,  but  after 
some  time  I  was  awakened  by  Frank  Gay  den,  who  said 
there  was  a  squad  of  men  on  the  road  whose  actions  he 
did  not  like.  I  went  to  a  fence  where  I  could  see,  three 
or  four  hundred  yards  away  across  the  field  on  the  road 
leading  from  Charleston,  and  which  ran  by  my  bivouac, 
three  men  on  horseback,  all  in  citizen's  clothes,  and  one 
of  them  I  recognized  as  Lieutenant  Gooden  by  his  horse. 
They  were  all  sitting  quietly  on  their  horses  and  seemed 
to  be  talking.  I  told  Gayden  it  was  Gooden  and,  I  sup- 
posed, some  citizens,  but  to  mount  his  horse  and  go  and 
see  what  news  there  was,  if  any,  and  come  back  at  once 
and  report,  and  then  went  to  sleep  again.  I  did  not 
wake  for  some  time,  but  when  I  did,  and  inquired  for 
Gayden,  I  found  he  had  not  returned.  Some  of  the 
men  said  they  saw  him  ride  up  to  the  three  men  in  the 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  59 

road  and  then  all  had  ridden  off  briskly  towards  Charles- 
ton. About  that  time  seeing  a  citizen  in  the  road  I  had 
him  brought  to  me,  and  to  my  surprise  and  chagrin 
learned  Gay  den  and  Gooden  were  prisoners,  and  by  that 
time  nearly  to  Birds'  Point.  I  got  away  at  once  from 
what  I  began  to  feel  was  a  dangerous  place,  as  indeed 
it  was,  for  I  was  twenty-five  miles  from  camp,  and  even 
with  Captain  Bowles  I  felt  I  would  be  too  weak  for  such 
a  force  as  could  be  brought  against  me.  I  soon  joined 
Bowles,  and  together  we  made  our  way  back  to  camp. 
When  I  reported  to  General  Pillow  that  instead  of  bring- 
ing him  a  prisoner  I  had  one  of  my  own  men  taken,  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  done,  he  said  he  did  not  see  how 
a  soldier  could  allow  himself  to  be  taken  in  the  manner 
described,  and  neither  could  I,  especially  my  blood- 
thirsty young  friend  Gayden.  The  worst  of  it  was  the 
news  at  home,  it  created  more  excitement  than  the  kill- 
ing and  wounding  of  fifty  men  two  years  later.  His 
brother  came  to  see  about  it,  and  strange  to  say  I  was 
very  much  censured,  and  great  sympathy  was  extended 
to  the  silly  fellow  who  deliberately  walked  into  a  trap 
with  his  eyes  open  in  broad  daylight.  It  made  him  a 
hero,  and  Lieutenant  Bell  resigning  a  short  time  after, 
Gayden  was  elected  in  his  place.  He  was  exchanged  in 
a  few  days,  some  unlucky  fellow  on  the  other  side  having 
been  taken  prisoner.  From  Gayden  I  learned  that 
Gooden  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  two  scouts  in  plain 
clothes;  that  he  seeing  Gooden  thought  everything  all 
right  and  rode  up  to  the  men.  One  of  them  leveled 
Gooden' s  shotgun  on  him  and  told  him  to  surrender, 
which  he  promptly  did.  I  asked  him  why  he  did  not 
attempt  to  escape,  as  he  was  well  mounted  as  well  as 
armed,  and  he  knew  help  was  at  hand.  He  said  the 
fellow  looked  like  he  would  shoot — and  this  was  the  man 


60  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

who  the  day  before  did  not  intend  to  take  prisoners  and 
would  die  before  he  would  be  taken! 

Early  in  September,  1861,  the  cavalry  was  put  across 
the  river  opposite  New  Madrid,  and  ordered  to  march  to 
Hickman,  Kentucky.  Major  Miller  being  absent  with  a 
flag  of  truce  which  had  gone  to  see  about  the  exchange 
of  Gayden,  I  was  the  senior  officer  in  command,  and 
made  a  rapid  march  to  Hickman,  going  light,  without 
wagons  or  baggage  of  any  kind.  When  we  got  there,  I 
found  General  Cheatham  with  several  regiments  of  in- 
fantry and  some  artillery,  he  having  gone  by  boat.  In  a 
little  while  afterward,  and  while  I  was  awaiting  orders, 
occurred  what  was  described  in  an  almanac  published  in 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi,  for  1862,  but  giving  a  synopsis  of 
the  war  for  1 86 1 ,  as  an  engagement  between  the  federal 
and  confederate  forces,  in  which  the  former  were  re- 
pulsed. The  same  almanac  contained  also  a  reference  to 
an  engagement  between  confederates  and  federals  at 
Charleston,  on  August  21st,  which,  I  suppose,  refers  to 
my  scout  and  the  capture  of  Gayden,  as  it  was  said  the 
confederates  were  defeated,  since  there  was  nothing  else 
to  which  it  could  refer.  But,  to  the  Hickman  affair. 
Dense  volumes  of  smoke  were  seen  up  the  river,  and  there 
was  great  excitement  in  town,  women  and  children  run- 
ning in  every  direction,  the  long  roll  beat  and  cavalry 
bugles  sounded,  and  guns  placed  in  commanding  positions 
to  resist  a  landing,  for  we  all  thought  a  large  force  was 
coming  to  attack  the  place.  First  came  in  sight  a  little 
stern-wheel  boat  owned  by  the  confederates,  painted 
black,  with  a  six-pound  gun  on  her  bow,  and  named  the 
Grampus,  commanded  by  Captain  Marsh  Miller,  an  old 
river  pilot  whom  I  had  long  known.  He  was  running  for 
dear  life  from  two  huge  and  to  us,  then,  formidable  look- 
ing   srun-boats.     These    were  firing  occasional  shots   as 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  6 1 

they  came  on,  and  truly,  to  new  soldiers,  as  we  all  were, 
except  General  Cheatham,  it  looked  serious.  Captain 
Marsh  Miller,  as  soon  as  he  got  opposite  to  the  command 
on  the  bank,  turned  his  boat  in  midstream  and  began 
firing  at  the  gun-boats,  though  I  could  see  his  shots  fell 
far  short.  General  Cheatham  had  planted  a  twelve-pound 
rifle  gun  on  the  bank,  and,  after  a  few  shots  were  ex- 
changed, the  gun-boats  retired.  A  little  longer  delay 
and  they  would  probably  have  been  taken  at  Columbus, 
for  a  force  under  Pillow,  with  guns,  reached  that  place 
while  the  smoke  was  still  visible  above  the  city.  The 
flurry  over,  and  Major  Miller  having  about  that  time 
caught  up  with  the  command,  bringing  with  him  my 
missing  man  Gay  den,  the  cavalry  was  ordered  forward 
to  Columbus. 

We  found  that  place  already  occupied  by  our  troops, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  a  large  force  was  concentrated 
there,  for  awhile  under  the  command  of  General  Pillow, 
but  a  little  later  General  Polk  arrived  and  took  command. 
I  saw  but  little  of  General  Pillow  after  this,  but  I  had 
for  several  months  been  in  a  position  to  observe  him 
closely,  and  I  had  formed  a  very  favorable  opinion  of 
him,  both  as  a  man  and  officer.  He  was  a  courteous 
gentleman,  with  some  vanity,  perhaps,  and  with  a  high 
and  noble  ambition  for  distinction  in  the  army,  but  he 
failed,  for,  after  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson,  from  which 
place  he  escaped,  he  was  but  little  heard  of  in  the  army; 
at  least,  I  believe,  never  again  had  any  prominent  place 
of  command. 

Soon  after  the  occupation  of  Columbus,  by  the  di- 
vision of  Major  Miller's  old  company,  and  the  addi- 
tion of  another,  the  battalion  had  five  companies,  and 
Major  Miller  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel,  and  First 
Lieutenant    D.    C.    Herndon,    of   my    company,    elected 


62  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

major.  R.  A.  Pinson,  of  Pontotoc  county,  was  elected 
captain  of  the  new  company  from  Pontotoc,  and  with 
him  my  fortunes  were  to  be  intimately  connected  till 
the  end  of  the  war.  But  this  is  not  the  place  to  do 
justice  to  him. 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  63 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Gunboats  and  Grampus— Ordered  with  squadron  to  Belmont — 
Colonel  Tappan  in  command — Watson's  Battery — Old  college 
mate — Dashing  poker  player  of  old  times,  one  of  the  Wat- 
sons— Scouting — First  fight — Federal  sergeant  killed — Leave 
of  absence,  battle  of  Belmont — Winter  quarters — State  troops 
under  General  Alcorn — New  orderly  sergeant — Old  acquaint- 
ance from  California— Runaway  negroes — Detailed  on  recruit- 
ing service — Battle  of  Shiloh — Battalion  increased  to  regi- 
ment— Colonel  Lindsay  in  command — His  habits — Army  falls 
back  to  Tupelo. 

For  some  weeks  the  chief  excitement  of  the  camp  was 
to  gather  on  the  bluff,  and  see  the  federal  gunboats  pur- 
sue Captain  Marsh  Miller,  as  he  would  return  from  his 
daily  scout  up  the  river.  There  was  a  long  stretch  in  the 
river  above  Columbus,  without  a  bend,  and  the  captain 
with  his  little  boat  would  sometimes  be  gone  so  long,  that 
it  was  feared  he  had  been  captured,  but  presently  his  boat 
would  be  seen  coming  under  all  the  steam  it  could  bear, 
and  its  whistles  screaming  as  it  came,  while  behind  would 
come  the  gunboats  firing  as  they  came.  When  finally 
he  got  under  our  guns  on  the  bluff,  he  would  stop  and 
turn  and  pop  away  with  his  six  pounder.  Meantime 
the  guns  on  the  bluff  would  be  manned  and  the  fire  of 
the  gunboats  returned.  Xo  damage  was  ever  done  on 
either  side  for  they  never  came  near  enough.  At  last 
we  got  a  big  gun,  but  it  burst,  killing  and  wounding 
several  of  our  own  men.  It  was  great  sport  to  watch  the 
Grampus,  which  was  really  handled  in  a  daring  manner 
by  Captain  Miller,  who  is  still  living,  an  honored  citizen 
of  Memphis.     The  cavalry  made  frequent  scouts  to  the 


64  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAX, 

north  without,  however,  ever  seeing  an  enemy,  going 
sometimes  almost  to  Paducah. 

These  things,  with  the  inevitable  drills  and  reviews  and 
exciting  news  from  other  places,  where  there  were  occa- 
sional skirmishes,  called  sometimes  battles,  together  with 
daily  rumors  of  the  intended  approach  of  the  federal 
army  from  Cairo,  kept  us  busy  all  the  time.  But  about 
the  last  of  September,  Colonel  Tappan'  s  Arkansas  regiment 
of  infantry  and  a  battery  of  artillery,  known  as  Watson's 
battery,  were  stationed  across  the  river  at  Belmont,  and 
I  was  ordered  to  take  Captain  Jack  Bowles'  company  and 
my  own,  the  two  forming  a  squadron  under  my  command 
as  senior  captain,  and  report  to  Colonel  Tappan.  I  found 
him  to  be  all  that  could  be  desired  in  a  commanding 
officer  and  he  afterwards  rose  to  the  rank  of  brigadier 
general,  a  deserved  promotion,  and  is  living  at  this  writ- 
ing in  Helena,  Arkansas,  enjoying  the  esteem  and  love  of 
his  fellow  citizens. 

My  business  was  to  scout  and  picket  the  roads  on  that 
side  of  the  river,  and  the  colonel  left  me  to  my  own  dis- 
cretion as  to  how  to  do  it,  a  confidence  which  I  highly 
appreciated.  I  here  met  Gus.  Watson  of  Watson's 
battery,  who  was  an  old  friend  and  college  mate  of  Oak- 
land College,  but  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  years.  He 
was  one  of  several  brothers,  all  wealthy,  and  all  of  whom 
I  had  known  while  at  the  college  and  for  some  years 
after.  They  were  all  gentlemen  of  character  and  stand- 
ing, and  all  were  dashing  poker  players,  and  I  had  played 
many  a  game  with  them.  It  was  quite  common  in  those 
days  for  gentlemen  to  play,  and  frequent  trips  were  made 
on  the  fine  steamers  of  those  days  to  New  Orleans,  osten- 
sibly on  business  by  parties  of  gentlemen,  but  really 
oftener  to  play  poker.  From  the  dashing  play  of  these 
men  came  the  phrase  '  'to  play  it  like  the  Watsons' ' ,  which 
is  still  heard,  I  am  told,  almost  everywhere  among  poker 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  65 

players,  to  this  good  day.  Gus.  Watson  had  bought  and 
equipped  this  battery  at  his  own  expense,  and  was  with  it 
but  not  holding  any  command  or  place.  I  had  with  me 
a  gentleman  who  was  also  along  for  the  excitement  and 
not  mustered  into  the  service.  He  wanted  to  be,  but  I 
persuaded  him  not  to  be,  as  I  wanted  him  to  stay  at 
home.  This  was  Dr.  J.  J.  Ross,  a  planter  and  physician 
of  Bolivar  county. 

He  and  Watson  became  great  friends  "and  both  always 
went  with  me  on  my  scouts.  My  first  care  was  to  exam- 
ine all  the  roads  leading  to  our  position  and  all  the  country 
around  for  some  miles  so  as  to  know  where  to  station  my 
pickets.  The  county  was  mostly  open  woods  and  one 
could  ride  anywhere.  My  next  was  to  secure  a  compe- 
tent guide,  and  I  was  fortunate  in  finding  a  good  one.  '  I 
wish  I  could  remember  his  name  for  he  certainly  knew 
the  country  well,  all  the  way  up  the  river  to  Bird's  Point, 
and  it  was  he  who  first  discovered  the  enemy  were  land- 
ing for  the  battle  of  Belmont,  his  house  being  on  the  river 
some  distance  outside  of  my  picket  lines.  In  Columbus 
before  I  crossed  to  Belmont  and  afterwards  when  I  had 
got  there,  I  heard  the  usual  rumors  about  Jeff  Thomp- 
son and  his  men  who  were  said  to  be  constantly  fighting, 
a  little  further  up  the  river,  and  I  determined  to  find 
them  if  they  were  to  be  found,  so  I  began  to  scout  almost 
■every  day,  going  with  my  guide  a  little  further  every 
time.  It  was  on  one  of  these  scouts  I  first  heard  that  to 
me  curious  provincialism,  "we-uns"  and  "u-uns. "  I  rode 
up  to  a  house  in  the  woods  and  inquired  of  a  girl  who  came 
to  the  door,  when  she  had  seen  any  soldiers  about  there. 
She  wanted  to  know  if  "u-uns  was  the  yankee  cavalry," 
a  somewhat  mortifying  question,  but  in  a  little  while  she 
said  we-uns  had  not  seen  an)-  soldiers  since  Jeff  Thomp- 
son's men  had  been  there,  and  when  I  inquired  for  them 
she  knew  nothing  of  them.     This  was  as  near  as  I  ever 


66  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

came  to  seeing  them  and  I  began  to  think  they  were  a 
myth,  but  my  guide  said  before  I  came  over  there  really 
had  been  a  company  who  called  themselves  Jeff  Thomp- 
son's men,  but  who  had  gone,  no  one  knew  where. 

My  constant  scouts  without  ever  seeing  an  enemy 
began  to  tire  the  men  as  well  as  myself;  indeed  we  never 
had  been  able  so  far  to  find  any  positive  signs  of  them. 
I  knew  they  were  in  considerable  force  at  Bird's  Point, 
and  that  scouts  were  made  down  the  river  from  that  place, 
but  this  was  about  all.  I  was  anxious  to  come  in  con- 
tact with  them,  for  I  wanted  to  know  how  I  would  feel, 
and  had  some  little  anxiety  as  to  whether  I  could  stand 
fire  with  any  degree  of  coolness.  There  was  about  fifteen 
miles  above  us  on  the  banks  of  the  river  a  large  planta- 
tion or  farm  owned  by  a  Mr.  Hunter,  a  strong  southern 
man,  who  had  abandoned  it  and  came  to  a  smaller  place 
he  owned  near  Columbus  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  federal 
raids.  There  was  a  large  amount  of  forage  left  on  the 
place,  and  Colonel  Tappan  decided  to  send  and  get  it. 
He  sent  five  companies  of  his  regiment,  a  section  of  Wat- 
son's battery,  all  the  wagons  he  could  get  and  my  entire 
squadron.  I  had  already  been  many  times  to  the  farm 
and  beyond  it,  so  I  knew  the  country  pretty  well.  I 
went  now  about  a  mile  or  more  above  the  farm,  guarding 
the  roads  leading  to  it  until  the  wagons  were  loaded  and 
well  under  way  down  the  river  with  the  infantry  and 
artillery.  Then  selecting  thirty  of  the  best  mounted  men 
I  had,  I  ordered  the  balance  of  the  cavalry  back  to  camp. 
With  my  guide  I  then  continued  on  up  the  river  till  we 
came  to  a  road  which  the  guide  said  led  across  the  coun- 
try to  Bird's  Point,  a  shorter  route  than  by  the  river, 
about  five  miles  away.  Here  I  discovered  unmistakable 
signs  of  the  enemy,  for  the  cross-roads  as  well  as  the 
river  road  going  up  the  river  was  full  of  innumerable 
shod  horse  tracks. 


IX   PEACE   AND    WAR.  67 

Deciding  to  explore  the  cross-road  with  a  view  to  re- 
turning with  the  entire  squadron  and  not  expecting  to 
meet  any  enemy,  for  it  was  then  late  in  the  afternoon 
and  so  many  of  the  tracks  were  fresh  seemingly  having 
just  been  made,  I  started  on  it  in  the  direction  of  Bird's 
Point,  sending  eight  men  ahead  as  an  advance,  and  with 
these  went  my  friends,  Ross  and  Watson.  My  guide 
said  about  a  mile  away  there  was  a  farm  and  family  liv- 
ing on  it,  and  my  purpose  was  to  go  that  far  and  return, 
as  it  was  fully  twenty-five  miles  to  camp.  We  had  gotten 
nearly  to  this  farm,  which  could  be  seen  across  a  narrow 
strip  of  woods,  when  my  advance,  which  had  gotten 
through  the  woods,  were  seen  suddenly  to  halt  then  turn 
and  gallop  back.  I  ordered  the  men  to  form  in  line, 
wmich  was  promptly  done,  and  then  looked  to  see  what 
the  matter  was.  The  road  where  it  left  the  wood  on  the 
other  side  made  a  short  turn,  and  on  one  side  was  a  clump 
of  papaw  bushes  just  where  it  turned,  so  that  I  could 
not  see  far  down  it.  I  did  not  have  long  to  wait  for  the 
cause  of  the  retreat  of  the  advance,  for  before  they  could 
reach  me  a  body  of  blue  coats  in  column  of  fours  at 
full  gallop  came  into  sight.  They  wrere  in  fast  pursuit 
of  the  advance  and  could  not  see  my  line  till  in  about  a 
hundred  yards  of  it,  when  they  promptly  halted  and 
formed  a  line.  I  never  saw  before  and  I  don't  think  I 
ever  saw  afterwards  a  prettier  sight.  I  estimated  them 
to  be  about  fifty  strong  as  their  line  was  longer  than  mine. 
As  they  were  forming,  I  ordered  my  men  to  fire,  and 
thirty  Maynard  rifles  cracked  together.  I  knew  my  men 
were  all  good  shots,  and  as  they  fired  I  looked  to  the 
enemy  and  fully  expected  to  see  a  dozen  saddles  emptied 
by  the  fire,  but  I  saw  none  fall,  and  they  coolly  formed, 
and  then  occurred  the  liveliest  fusilade  which  had  ever 
up  to  that  time  been  heard  in  that  country.  Both  sides 
stood  their  ground  well,  and  I  began  to  be  seriously  un- 


68  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

easy  lest  I  should  get  the  worst  of  it,  but  presently  I 
could  see  them  dropping  out  of  line  two  or  three  at  a 
time  and  then  all  turned  and  got  away  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble. I  forbade  pursuit  as  I  apprehended  the  firing  would 
bring  other  forces  to  their  aid,  and  I  was  too  far  away 
from  my  base  to  get  any  help.  I  rode  up  to  where  their  line 
had  been,  and  there  stretched  out  in  death  lay  a  fine  look- 
ing young  man  wearing  the  chevrons  of  a  sergeant.  His 
carbine — they  were  armed  with  Burnsides,  a  better  gun 
than  mine — lay  by  his  side  and  his  saber  was  still  belted 
to  him.  This  was  the  first  man  killed  in  open  fight, 
while  the  armies  lay  opposing  each  other  at  Cairo  and 
Columbus,  and,  indeed,  this  was  the  first  fight  between 
opposing  forces  of  the  two  armies.  I  left  him  where  he 
lay,  giving  his  body  in  charge  of  the  citizen  whose  house 
was  near.  His  saber  I  gave  to  my  friend  Watson  and 
the  carbine  to  Ross.  My  own  loss  was  five  horses  killed 
and  one  man  wounded  in  the  right  arm,  which  had  to  be 
amputated.  His  name  was  Smith,  and  I  fear  he  is  now 
dead,  since  within  the  last  year  I  have  heard  nothing 
from  him,  and  prior  to  that  time  he  often  wrote  me,  and 
I  always  replied  to  his  letters  from  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
where  he  has  lived  since  the  war.  I  sent  couriers  for- 
ward at  once  to  announce  my  successful  fight  to  Colonel 
Tappan,  while  I  followed  more  slowly  with  my  wounded 
man  and  dismounted  men. 

We  got  back  to  camp  late  at  night  tired  and  hungry, 
but  proud  of  the  fact  that  at  last  we  had  met  the  enemy 
face  to  face  and  came  off  victorious.  The  whole  camp 
was  up  to  see  us  come  in;  the  news  of  our  fight  had 
been  sent  over  the  river  and  telegraphed  to  Memphis, 
and  for  some  days  the  squad  who  had  participated  in 
the  skirmish  were  the  heroes  of  the  hour.  After  this  I 
made  many  scouts  to  the  same  place  with  the  squadron, 
but  did   not  again  meet  the  enemy.     In  a  few  weeks  I 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  69 

got  a  leave  of  absence  for  a  week  and  hastened  home, 
and,  to  my  regret  at  the  time,  the  reconnoissance  in  force 
was  made  by  General  Grant,  which  resulted  in  the 
battle  of  Belmont,  while  I  was  absent.  I  hastened  back, 
to  find  the  wThole  command  brought  back  from  Belmont 
and  all  concentrated  at  Columbus.  Soon  after  this  the 
army  went  into  winter  quarters,  and  my  company  was 
retained  in  camp  at  Columbus,  while  Colonel  Miller  was 
kept  outside,  north  of  the  town,  guarding  the  roads  lead- 
ing north,  or  most  of  them,  while  I  had  one  special  road 
to  picket,  along  with  such  other  duties  as  from  time  to 
wrere  required  of  me.  There  were  numerous  false  alarms 
during  the  winter,  and  one  which  brought  several 
thousand  Mississippi  state  troops,  under  the  command  of 
General  Alcorn,  when  it  was  supposed  the  enemy  in- 
tended to  attack  Columbus  from  Paducah,  but  after  a 
few  weeks  these  were  sent  back,  and  everything  became 
quiet  again.  Just  after  the  battle  of  Belmont  I  became 
aware  of  the  fact  that  the  men  had  become  very  much 
dissatisfied  with  Orderly  Sergeant  S.  H.  Starke,  and  he 
himself  desiring  to  give  up  the  place,  I  decided  to  ap- 
point some  one  in  his  place. 

Sergeant  Starke  was  a  son  of  the  Hon.  Peter  B.  Starke, 
of  Bolivar  county,  a  prominent  citizen,  and  afterwards  col- 
onel of  the  Twenty-eighth  Mississippi  Cavalry,  with  whose 
regiment  we  were  at  a  later  date  brigaded,  and  of  whom 
I  may  have  much  to  say.  The  office  of  orderly  sergeant 
is  the  most  important  in  a  company,  except  that  of 
captain,  or  the  commanding  officer  of  the  company,  and 
I  was  greatly  troubled  to  think  whom  to  appoint.  While 
sitting  at  the  door  of  my  tent,  just  before  the  hour  of 
evening  parade,  and  considering  the  matter,  I  happened 
to  look  at  a  young  man  sitting  some  distance  away  by 
himself  and  seeming  to  be  in  a  deep  study.  His  name 
was  Gadi  Herrin,  and  he  was  a  native  of  Attala  county; 


JO  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

had  been  teaching  school  in  Bolivar,  and  had  just  be- 
come of  age  and  received  a  license  to  practice  law  about 
the  time  we  had  organized  the  company.  I  knew  he 
was  a  very  ambitious  boy,  and  at  once,  on  the  impulse  of 
the  moment,  I  called  him  to  me  and  told  him  I  had  de- 
termined to  appoint  him  orderly  sergeant.  He  told  me 
afterwards  he  had  been  sitting  wishing  for  the  place, 
but  without  hope  or  expectation  of  getting  it. 

He  did  not  disappoint  my  expectations,  and  his  gal- 
lant services  and  death  will  later  on  be  told. 

While  recalling  the  incidents  of  my  stay  in  Columbus 
that  winter  I  ought  not  to  pass  by  one  old  acquaintance, 
who  came  across  the  continent  from  California  to  cast 
in  his  lot  with  the  people  of  his  native  state,  Mississippi, 
in  their  struggle  for  independence.  His  name  was  Ned 
Saunders.  I  had  not  seen  him  for  ten  years,  when 
unexpectedly  I  came  across  him  one  day  at  General 
Cheatham's  quarters. 

His  father  had  been  a  leading  criminal  lawyer  in  Nat- 
chez, and  was  a  pronounced  secessionist  in  1851,  and  after 
the  triumph  of  the  union  sentiment  in  the  campaign  of 
that  year,  declared  he  would  leave  and  did  leave  the  state, 
going  to  California.  My  friend,  Ned  Saunders,  had  soon 
after  becoming  of  age  formed  the  acquaintance  of  General 
Walker,  the  celebrated  filibuster,  who  undertook  to  con- 
quer Nicaraugua,  and  had  accompanied  him  to  that  coun- 
try and  been  raised  to  the  command  of  major-general  in 
Walker's  army.  While  Walker  was,  or  claimed  to  be, 
the  president  of  that  country,  Saunders  was  married, 
Walker  performing  the  ceremony.  In  some  way,  when 
Walker's  army  was  overthrown,  Saunders  escaped,  and 
thus  did  not  share  the  fate  which  befell  Walker,  who, 
after  holding  his  own  for  nearly  two  years,  was  driven 
out  of  the  country,  but  was  afterwards  taken  and  shot. 
Ned  Saunders  wanted  to  raise  an  independent  company 


IN   PEACE   AXD    WAR.  7 1 

of  scouts,  which  he  afterwards  succeeded  in  doing,  and  I 
believe  did  good  service,  though  he  was  seldom  with  my 
command.  With  him  came  a  brother,  a  frail  and  delicate 
man,  Louis  Saunders,  and  both  remained  in  the  confeder- 
ate service  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

I  do  not  remember,  while  in  winter  quarters  at  Colum- 
bus, ever  being  ordered  to  take  my  company  across  the 
river  to  my  old  scouting  ground  but  once,  and  this  was 
upon  an  inglorious  service,  but  I  could  not  disobey. 
Some  negroes,  four  or  five  in  number,  had  escaped  from 
the  army  and  crossed  the  river.  I  was  ordered  to  take 
my  company  and  try  and  recapture  them.  I  had  little 
difficulty  in  doing  this,  as  I  knew  the  country  thoroughly, 
and  knew  just  where  to  send  men  to  head  the  poor  crea- 
tures off.  I  confess  I  felt  very  much  ashamed  of  the 
work,  and  could  not  but  be  sorry  for  the  poor  fellows 
when  they  were  brought  to  me. 

Just  before  the  army  evacuated  Columbus,  and  when, 
so  far  as  I  knew,  there  was  no  thought  of  its  doing  so, 
under  a  special  detail  from  General  Polk,  I  went  to  Jef- 
ferson and  Franklin  counties  to  aid  in  the  formation  of 
companies,  and  indeed  to  hurry  up  their  formation. 
While  so  engaged  I  learned  the  army  had  left  Columbus, 
and  all  our  forces  in  this  department  were  being  rapidly 
concentrated  at  Corinth  under  that  man  of  high  hopes 
and  great  promise  to  the  confederacy,  General  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston.  This  splendid  soldier  I  had  met  sev- 
eral times  in  Columbus,  and  felt  that  he  was  a  man  formed 
to  command.  How  soon  our  hopes  were  cut  short  in  his 
glorious  death,  in  the  moment  of  victory  at  Shiloh,  his- 
tory has  recorded.  I  hastened  to  rejoin  my  command  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  but  was  too  late  for  the  battle  of  Shi- 
loh. My  company  was  engaged  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Jones,  who  received  a  severe  flesh  wound  in 


72  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

the  arm,  but  he  was  the  only  man  wounded  in  the  com- 
pany, and  so  far  as  I  now  remember,  in  the  regiment,  for 
just  a  few  days  before  that  battle  enough  companies  had 
been  added  to  form  a  regiment.     This  regiment  was  com- 
manded in  the  battle  by  Colonel  Lindsay,  an  old  army 
officer  with,  I   believe,   the  rank  of  captain,  who  had 
been  on  duty  for  many  years   on  the  frontier.     When 
I   got  back  to  the  command   I   found    him   still   com- 
manding  the  regiment,  but   Colonel  Miller  and  Major 
Herndon    were    not   with    it.      These    gentlemen,    and 
justly  I   think,  were   offended   at   his  being  appointed 
to  supersede  them,  and  soon  after  the  battle,  for  they 
would    not  do   so   sooner,    tendered    their   resignations, 
which,  however,  were  not  accepted,  though  they  were  re- 
lieved from  duty  for  a  time.     This  left  me  the  second 
in  command  as  senior  captain,  and  as  in  duty  bound  I 
hastened  to  report  myself  to  Colonel  Lindsay  for  duty. 
He  was  a  southern  man,  but   I   do  not  remember  from 
what  state,  and  I   found   him  to  be  a  very  reticent,  but 
agreeable,  gentleman.      He   was,  according   to   my  im- 
pression of  him,  some  forty-five  or  may  be  fifty  years  old. 
His  whole  life  had  been  passed  on  the  frontier  and  mostly 
in  forts,  and,  while  I  do  not  doubt  he  was  a  gallant  man 
and  a  competent  officer,  he  seemed  to  have  no  energy, 
and  devolved  on  me  very  largely  the  duties  he  ought  to 
have  performed.     His  chief   pleasure  and  only  occupa- 
tion, so   far  as  I   know,   was  in  playing  solitaire,  for  I 
never  went  to  his  tent  that  I  did  not  find  him  engaged  in 
this  game,  for  the  few  weeks  we  were  together.     What 
became  of  him  after  he  left  the  regiment  I  am  not  cer- 
tain,   but   think    he   went   to    the   western  department. 
While  with  him  the  regiment  was  on  the  left  of  the  army 
while  it  remained   in  Corinth.     Nothing  of  any  special 
interest   occurred,   save   one    day  a  company  under  the 
command  of    Lieutenant   Beasely,  of   Noxubee  county, 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  73 

was  attacked  on  picket  and  driven  in.  Colonel  Lindsay 
ordered  me  to  take  the  regiment  and  re-establish  the  line. 
His  men  reported  that  the  lieutenant  had  been  killed.  I 
re-established  the  line,  but  the  enemy  had  already  gone, 
and,  as  we  could  not  find  the  lieutenant's  body,  I  sup- 
posed he  had  been  wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 

The  place  where  the  picket  was  stationed  was  very 
hilly  and  wooded,  and  the  next  day  some  of  the  men  on 
picket  found  him  down  a  hill  some  distance  from  where 
he  had  fallen,  still  living,  but  unconscious.  A  bullet  had 
hit  him  fair  in  the  center  of  his  forehead,  but  he  had 
evidently  walked  to  where  he  was  found,  for  he  had  un- 
buckled his  saber,  which  with  his  pistol  was  lying  by  his 
side.  He  lived  some  hours,  but  died  a  soldier's  death. 
He  left  a  son,  a  gallant  boy,  afterwards  adjutant  of  the 
regiment,  and  destined  to  meet  his  father's  fate  on  the 
battle  field. 

The  army  under  General  Bragg  fell  back  to  Tupelo, 
and  there  the  regiment  enlisted  for  the  war,  and  was  re- 
organized, and  an  election  held  for  all  company  and  reg- 
imental officers,  and  here  Colonel  Lindsay,  after  having 
superintended  this  election,  took  his  leave  of  us. 


74  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Reorganization  of  regiment — Report  to  General  Villipigue — Or- 
dered to  Senatobia,  Jeff.  Thompson  again — His  Indian  army—' 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Galloway,  of  Memphis — Ordered  to  Bolivar 
county — Captain  Herrin  reports  to  me — Fights  with  General 
Hovey  in  Coahoma  county — Congressman  Hal.  Chambers — 
His  duel  with  Mr.  Lake — Fight  at  Drisdoll's  gin — Rejoin  regi- 
ment. 

From  the  reorganization  of  the  regiment  at  a  camp 
near  Tupelo  in  May,  1S62,  commenced  its  real  history  as 
the  First  Mississippi  Cavalry  Regiment.  Both  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Miller  and  Major  Herndon  were  present, 
but  neither  were  candidates  for  any  position.  Major 
Herndon  went  into  the  service  of  the  government  in  a 
civil  capacity,  and  Colonel  Miller  returned  to  his  home 
near  Pontotoc.  He  left  with  the  esteem  of  all  the  men 
and  officers,  but  he  did  not  live  many  months  to  enjoy 
the  honor  which  he  had  gained  by  his  year  of  arduous 
service.  While  living  quietly  at  home  a  few  months 
later  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  federals,  and  while 
being  carried  away  by  them  he  made  a  daring  attempt  to 
escape.  They  were  at  the  time  passing  through  a 
broken  and  wooded  country,  between  Pontotoc  and 
Ripley,  Mississippi,  and,  riding  along  by  the  side  of  the 
officer  in  command,  he  suddenly  wheeled  his  horse  and 
dashed  down  a  steep  hill  and  was  fired  on  and  killed. 

I  wish  I  could  remember  the  names  of  all  the  officers 
elected  at  the  election,  the  last  ever  held,  for  after  this 
as  vacancies  occurred  they  were  filled  by  promotion,  and 
when  necessary  by  appointments  from  the  ranks,  and  I 
wish  I  had  the  names  of  all  the  gallant  men  who  filled 


COL.   R.  A.  PINSON. 


FIRST    MISSISSIPPI    CAVALRY. 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  75 

the  ranks  at  that  time  and  who  fought  so  bravely 
through  the  war,  though  very  many  were  to  give  their 
lives  to  the  cause  they  all  held  sacred.  Where  they  fell 
their  bodies  lie  scattered  in  many  places  over  the  soil 
they  loved  and  defended,  for  this  is  the  soldier's  fate. 

Captain  R.  A.  Pinson  was  elected  colonel;  Captain  F. 
A.  Montgomery,  lieutenant-colonel;  Captain  —  Wheeler, 
major;  Lucian  M.  Sykes,  adjutant;  William  Beasley, 
sergeant-major;  Captain  T.  B.  Dillard,  quartermaster; 
Captain  Robert  Ligon,  commissary;  Dr.  C.  L.  Mont- 
gomery, surgeon;  Dr.  A.  C.  Ferrel,  assistant.  The 
captains  of  companies  were  J.  R.  Taylor,  of  Panola,  J. 
L.  Simmons,  of  Carrol,  —  Beall,  of  Noxubee,  —  King, 
of  Noxubee,  Charles  Marshall,  of  Tallahatchie,  —  Turner, 
of  Pontotoc,  W.  V.  Lester,  of  Tallahatchie,  Gadi  Herrin, 
of  Bolivar,  — Wheeler,  a  brother  of  the  major,  of  Cal- 
houn, and  J.  R.  Chandler,  of  Lafayette. 

I  do  not  remember  the  names  of  all  the  lieutenants, 
though  some  I  will  recall  in  appropriate  places,  except 
those  in  my  old  company,  the  Bolivar  troop.  These 
were  J.  M.  Montgomery,  first,  Will  Mason  Worthing- 
ton,  second,  and  William  Bridges,  second,  as  in  those 
days  there  were  two  second  lieutenants  in  each  company. 
I  went  to  headquarters  with  a  list  of  the  officers  elected, 
and  they  were  all  approved.  In  a  few  days  Colonel 
Pinson  was  ordered  to  report  with  his  regiment  to  Gen- 
eral Villipigue,  whose  headquarters  were  then  at  Abbe- 
ville, Mississippi,  and  almost  immediately  on  our  arrival 
at  that  place  I  received  a  written  order  from  the  general 
to  take  four  companies  of  the  regiment  and  proceed  to 
Senatobia  and  there  "co-operate  with  Brigadier-General 
M.  Jeff  Thompson  of  the  M.  S.  G.,"  to  be  plain,  as  I 
knew  it  to  mean,  Missouri  State  Guards.  I  was  very 
much  puzzled  over  the  order,  as  I  had  heard  nothing  of 
General  Thompson  since  I  had  left  Columbus,  and  if  I 


76  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

had  ever  thought  of  him  at  all  supposed  him  still  in  the 
woods  of  Missouri. 

However,  my  business  was  to  obey  orders,  and  find  out 
afterwards  what  it  all  meant.  I  knew,  of  course,  he  was 
not  to  command  me,  but  what  he  was  doing,  or  what 
force  he  had,  or  how  I  was  to  co-operate  with  him,  I 
could  not  conceive.  I  marched  across  to  the  Mississippi 
and  Tennessee  railroad,  as  it  was  then  called,  and  which 
was  still  open  from  Grenada  to  Senatobia  and  used  as  oc- 
casion required,  striking  the  road  at  Batesville.  Here  I 
heard  much  of  General  Thompson,  who  was  said  to  be  at 
or  north  of  Senatobia  with  a  force  of  Indians  and  other 
men.  I  got  to  Senatobia  late  one  afternoon  and  inquired 
for  General  Thompson,  but  no  one  seemed  to  know  much 
about  him  or  where  he  and  his  men  were,  so  I  went  into 
camp.  The  next  morning  he  rode  into  camp  about  ten 
o'clock,  and  had  with  him  one  Indian.  He  said  that 
knowing  I  was  coming  he  had  gone  up  the  road  to  picket 
for  me  that  night,  and  in  fact  he  had  ridden  up  the  road 
five  or  six  miles  and  spent  the  night  with  some  planter, 
quietly  and  comfortably.  This  was  all  the  force  he  had 
on  this  side  of  the  river,  or  ever  did  have,  whatever  he 
may  have  had  on  the  other  side.  I  established  a  camp 
two  miles  north  of  town,  at  a  creek  called  Hickahaly,  I 
believe,  and  at  once  sent  scouts  up  the  road  and  put  out 
pickets,  and  then  sent  a  courier  to  General  Villipigue, 
announcing  my  arrival  and  requesting  him  to  be  more  ex- 
plicit in  his  instructions.  He  merely  reiterated  his  first 
order  to  co-operate  with  General  Thompson.  I  found 
upon  inquiry  that  the  general  was  acting  as  a  sort  of  aid 
or  adjutant  of  General  Villipigue,  and  had  power  to  give 
passes  into  Memphis,  or  to  those  coming  out  of  Memphis, 
if  they  could  pass  my  lines.  I  remained  at  this  camp 
some  weeks  "  co-operating  "  with  General  Thompson,  and 
during  this  time  saw  much  of  him  and  grew  to  like  him 


IN    PEACE    AXD    WAR.  -j 

very  much.  He  was  a  peculiar  man,  of  marked  eccen- 
tricity, but  educated  and  a  gentleman.  He  was  ambitious 
to  hold  a  commission  in  the  confederate  army,  but  this, 
was  never,  I  believe,  gratified.  I  never  saw  him  after  I 
left  Senatobia  or  heard  of  him  in  the  army,  but  learned 
after  the  war  he  was  in  New  Orleans  in  business,  and 
where  I  hope  he  prospered  better  than  he  did  during  the 
war.  During  this  time  I  saw  refugees  from  Memphis 
every  day,  and  once  I  recall  Mrs.  Galloway,  the  wife  of 
the  brilliant  editor  of  the  Appeal,  who  was  then  at  Gre- 
nada, to  which  place  she  was  going.  I  would  not  have 
remembered  this,  but  some  ten  years  after  the  war,  look- 
ing over  some  letters  which  I  had  written  my  wife,  and 
which  she  had  preserved,  I  found  I  had  written  her  of 
this  meeting,  and  of  how  angry  Mrs.  Galloway  was,  for 
she  had  been  literally  forced  to  leave.  When  I  found  the 
letters  I  was  engaged  in  writing  a  memoir  of  the  war,  and 
they  helped  me  much.  Unfortunatel}-  this  memoir  and 
nearly  all  these  letters  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  burn- 
ing of  my  office.  From  some  remaining  I  may  hereafter 
quote.  After  this  I  told  the  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Galloway, 
the  first  time  I  met  them,  of  my  find,  and  she  was  very 
much  amused  at  the  recollection  of  her  banishment  from 
her  home.  One  day  I  received  from  General  Villipigue 
an  order  to  send  a  sergeant  and  ten  men  to  Bolivar  county 
to  investigate  certain  charges  which  had  been  made  to 
him  against  Mr.  Miles  H.  McGehee,  the  wealthy  planter 
I  have  mentioned  as  having  defeated  General  Clark  for 
the  convention. 

These  charges  were,  that  Mr.  McGehee  was  selling 
cotton  to  the  federals,  for  they  already  had  possession  of 
the  river  to  Vicksburg,  and  also  in  discouraging  enlist- 
ments in  the  army.  My  own  company  from  Bolivar  was 
not  with  me,  but  with  Colonel  Pinson,  and  I  disliked  to 
send  a  stranger  of  that  rank,  to  make  such  an  investiga- 


78  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

tion  about  a  man  of  Mr.  McGehee's  prominence,  especi- 
ally as  I  knew  he  had  enemies,  who  would  only  be  too 
glad  to  do  what  they  could  to  annoy  him.  I  told  Gen- 
eral Thompson  my  fears  and  that  I  would  like  to  make 
the  investigation  myself,  besides  I  wanted  a  chance  to 
see  my  family,  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  months.  He 
very  promptly  said  he  would  give  me  the  order,  but  I 
doubted  his  authority  to  do  so,  and  requested  him  to  go 
and  see  General  Villipigue,  and  explain  the  matter  to 
him,  which  he  at  once  did  and  brought  me  back  an  order 
to  take  the  squad  myself.  I  lost  no  time,  and  in  a  few 
days  got  to. the  town  of  Concordia,  where  I  left  the  squad 
in  good  quarters,  with  orders  to  wait  till  they  had  heard 
from  me.  They  did  not  know  for  what  purpose  we  had 
come.  I  hurried  on  home  the  same  day  but  found  when 
I  got  there  that  my  wife  had  become  alarmed  at  living 
on  the  river  and  refugeed  to  a  place  ten  miles  back.  It 
was  dark,  but  I  went  on  and  reached  them  before  bed 
time.  I  spent  the  next  day  with  them,  and  then  sent  an 
order  to  the  sergeant  to  take  his  men  to  Air.  McGehee's 
place  and  wait  for  me  there.  The  squad  had  been 
there  two  hours  when  I  got  there,  and  Mr.  McGehee  was 
very  uneasy.  He  had  about  two  negroes  to  each  man 
waiting  on  him,  and  the  men  were  in  clover. 

He  had  already  sent  for  some  of  his  neighbors,  and 
they  soon  came.  I  told  him  at  once  what  charges  there 
were  against  him,  but  these  were  disproved  by  his  neigh- 
bors, who  were  known  to  me  to  be  reputable  citizens,  as 
well  as  by  his  own  statements  which  would  have  been 
sufficient  for  me,  and  I  at  once  wrote  out  a  statement  ex- 
onerating him  from  the  charges,  and  sent  it  by  courier  to 
General  Villipigue.  Mr.  McGehee  had,  however,  several 
hundred  bales  of  cotton  hid  out  in  the  cane,  as  he  frankly 
admitted  to  me,  and  this  I  told  him  I  must  have  burned 
as  the  orders  were  that  all  cotton  must  be  burned,  except 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  79 

what  was  necessary  for  spinning  and  weaving,  for  already- 
spinning  wheels  and  looms  were  being  set  up  everywhere. 
But  of  these  makeshifts,  with  other  devices  to  supply  the 
necessaries  of  life  in  this  part  of  the  confederacy,  I  will 
try  to  find  occasion  to  speak  hereafter.  I  left  Mr.  Mc- 
Gehee  some  twent}r  or  thirty  bales  of  cotton  which  he 
said  he  needed,  but  directed  the  sergeant  to  burn  all  the 
rest  of  his  cotton,  and  gave  the  men  all  permission  when 
this  duty  was  performed,  to  go  by  way  of  their  homes, 
on  the  way  back  to  camp.  I  have  just  remembered  as  I 
write  this,  that  one  of  that  squad  was  James  Townes, 
now  one  of  the  wealthiest  planters  in  the  Delta,  now  liv- 
ing in  Tallahatchie  county,  near  Minter  City.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  daring  and  gallant  soldiers  of  the  regi- 
ment, and  well  deserves  the  success  he  has  met  in  life. 
I  proposed  to  stay  two  or  three  days  with  my  family  and 
then  return,  but  just  as  I  was  ready  to  go,  to  my  surprise, 
Captain  Herrin  with  his  company  reported  to  me.  He 
had  been  ordered  to  report  to  me  at  Senatobia  and  got 
there  a  few  days  after  I  had  left,  and  General  Thompson 
kindly  gave  him  an  order  to  follow  and  report  to  me  in 
Bolivar. 

The  men  were  wild  to  get  a  chance  to  come  home,  and 
Herrin  did  not  stop  to  question  General  Thompson's 
authority,  which  I  suppose  he  made  all  right  with  Gen- 
eral Villipigue,  as  I  never  heard  anything  about  it  after- 
wards. I  gave  the  company  permission  to  disband  a 
day  or  two  and  visit  their  homes,  and  then  started  with 
them  back  to  the  army.  Upon  reaching  Coahoma 
county  I  camped  the  first  night  on  a  plantation  owned 
by  a  gentleman  named,  or  rather  called,  General  Grant, 
at  about  where  the  Robinsonville  landing  now  is.  I 
don't  know  how  the  gentleman  got  his  title,  he  was  not 
related  to  the  great  man  who  was  now  fast  coming  to 
the  front  as  the  most  conspicuous  figure  in  the  war  on 


SO  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

the  federal  side.  This  gentleman  had  a  son,  a  mere 
boy  at  the  time,  who  had  joined  the  Bolivar  troop, 
Captain  Herrin's  company,  and  who  because  he  was  so 
young  became  the  pet  of  the  company,  with  which  he 
served  throughout  the  war.  After  the  war  he  became, 
and  at  this  writing  still  is,  a  prominent  physician,  living 
at  Terry,  in  the  state  he  helped  to  defend.  I  learned  at 
this  camp  that  a  federal  force  of  several  thousands  under 
General,  afterwards  governor,  Hovey  of  Illinois  was 
in  camp  on  the  McMahon  place,  about  ten  miles  north  of 
me,  and  that  he  had  gone  regularly  into  the  cotton  busi- 
ness, sending  out  his  teams  and  gathering  up  cotton, 
of  which  there  was  a  good  deal  in  that  neighborhood. 
If  I  am  not  mistaken  there  was  some  scandal  about  this 
when  General  Hovey  was  a  candidate  for  governor,  and 
I  was  strongly  tempted  to  write  to  him  at  the  time  and 
recall  myself  and  the  operations  of  my  command  in 
trying  to  prevent  his  getting  cotton  to  his  memory,  but 
I  did  not  do  it. 

I  determined  at  all  events  to  stop  him  if  I  could,  and 
though  my  force  was  much  inferior  to  his  I  hoped  from 
my  acquaintance  with  the  country  to  do  a  great  deal  in 
preventing  him  from  getting  cotton.  I  found  that  he 
was  taking  cotton  from  a  place  some  distance  from  his 
camp,  the  McNeil  place  and  neighborhood,  and  I  moved 
at  once  to  a  place  where  I  hoped  to  intercept  him  on  his 
return  to  his  camp,  choosing  a  point  in  the  cane  not  far 
from  his  camp  on  the  road  he  was  using.  I  got  my 
position  all  right,  and  was  snugly  concealed  in  fifty 
yards  of  the  road,  and  could  plainly  hear  the  noise  of  his 
men  and  wagons  on  the  road,  but  I  could  not  tell  where 
they  were.  Just  then  I  saw  Father  McMahon,  as  he 
was  called,  on  whose  place  the  enemy  were  encamped, 
riding  along  the  road,  and  sending  out  had  him  brought 
to  me.     His  first  words  were,  "There  are  thousands  of 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  8 1 

enemies  within  a  mile  of  you,"  but  I  learned  from  him 
they  had  all  passed  my  ambuscade,  and  with  a  caution 
to  him  to  say  nothing  of  having  seen  us  I  withdrew. 
There  was  a  gin  house  not  far  from  me  on  a  plantation, 
whose  owner's  name  I  have  forgotten,  but  it  adjoined 
one  owned  then  by  General  Forrest,  and  this  gin  house 
was  full  of  cotton,  ginned  and  unginned,  and  with  a  good 
deal  bailed  up.  From  this  place  there  was  another  road, 
leading  directly  to  General  Hovey's  quarters,  and  I  at 
once  went  there  to  destroy  the  cotton.  The  gin  house 
was  situated  very  near  the  woods,  and  I  sent  pickets  at 
once  up  the  road  and  had  commenced  to  have  the  cotton 
moved,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  burn  the  house.  But  almost 
immediately  my  pickets  began  to  fire,  and  were  driven 
in  by  a  force  I  knew  to  be  larger  than  mine,  and  who 
had  besides  the  advantage  of  the  shelter  of  the  woods 
within  easy  range,  while  in  the  rear  for  two  miles  was  an 
open  field  to  the  houses  on  General  Forrest's  place,  but 
the  gin  house  and  cotton  gave  us  some  shelter,  and  I  de- 
termined not  to  let  them  have  the  cotton  without  a 
fight  for  it. 

In  the  fight  which  ensued  I  had  several  men  wounded, 
but  not  severely;  what  the  enemy's  loss  was,  if  any,  I 
never  learned,  but  in  the  fight  the  gin  house  took  fire  and 
burned  to  the  ground  with  all  the  cotton  in  and  around 
it.  I  then  fell  slowly  back  to  General  Forrest's  place,  the 
enemy  pursuing  about  half  way  and  keeping  up  a  run- 
ning fight.  On  the  Forrest  place  there  was  a  good  deal 
of  cotton,  but  there  was  a  manager  and  some  negroes  on 
the  place,  and  I  had  all  the  cotton  moved  out  of  the  gin 
and  houses  and  burned.  Here,  on  the  next  morning  after 
this  skirmish,  I  was  visited  by  Hal.  Chambers,  the  mem- 
ber of  the  confederate  congress  from  the  district,  who 
owned  a  plantation  near  by,  and  who  had  heard  the  fir- 
ing of  the  day  before.     This  gentleman  had  been  elected 


82  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

in  the  fall  of  1861,  his  opponent  at  first  being  Mr. 

Lake,  a  prominent  Whig  lawyer  and  citizen  of  Vicksburg. 
In  the  canvass  at  old  Greenville,  in  Washington  county,  I 
think  it  was,  a  difficulty  occurred  and  a  blow  was  given, 
and  then  a  challenge.  They  met  at  Memphis  to  arrange 
for  the  fight,  and  Colonel  M.  C.  Galloway  was  Chambers' 
second,  and  from  him  I  learned  after  the  war  the  details 
of  the  duel.  I  do  not  recall  the  name  of  Mr.  Lake's  sec- 
ond, but  he  with  Colonel  Galloway  endeavored,  as  was 
their  duty  under  the  much  abused  code,  to  accommodate 
the  difficulty,  but  without  success.  The  parties  met  in 
Arkansas  just  across  the  river.  Chambers  and  his  second . 
were  first  on  the  ground,  and  Colonel  Galloway  told 
Chambers  that  the  etiquette  of  the  occasion  required  him 
to  salute  his  antagonist  politely  when  he  arrived,  and  this 
he  did,  but  Mr.  Lake  passed  him  with  a  haughty  stare 
without  returning  the  salute.  They  fought  with  what 
were  then  known  as  Mississippi  rifles  (because  it  was  the 
gun  used  by  Colonel  Davis'  regiment  in  the  battle  of 
Buena  Vista)  at  forty  paces.  Three  shots  were  fired 
without  result,  and  after  each  shot  the  seconds  tried  to 
stop  it,  but  without  success.  At  the  fourth  fire  Mr.  Lake 
was  shot  dead.  He  was  a  noble  specimen  of  manhood, 
and  his  death  was  much  regretted,  but  Chambers  was 
never  blamed,  and  though  some  one  took  Mr.  Lake's 
place  in  the  canvass,  he  was  elected  by  a  handsome  ma- 
jority. My  next  encounter  with  Hovey's  force  was  at 
Drisdoll's  gin,  almost  at  his  camp.  The  gin  was  situated 
in  a  field  which  I  was  told  went  up  to  his  camp,  but  the 
field  was  a  cornfield,  then  in  roasting  ear,  and  afforded  a 
complete  screen  from  view.  The  federals,  I  learned,  had 
taken  possession  of  the  gin,  and  were  ginning  and  bailing 
cotton  on  it.  I  had  been  joined  by  about  fifty  citizens, 
mostly  from  Bolivar  county,  armed  with  shotguns,  and  I 
determined  to  try  and  surprise  the  guard  at  the  gin.     Go- 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  83 

ing  by  paths  through  the  woods,  I  got  to  the  field  with- 
out the  federals  being  any  the  wiser,  and  sent  Captain 
Herrin  in  with  his  company  to  make  the  attack,  while  I 
remained  with  the  citizen  force,  who  were  without  organ- 
ization. He  made  it  successfully,  returning  after  a  sharp 
skirmish  with  five  prisoners,  two  of  them  wounded.  One 
of  his  men  threw  fire  into  the  lint  room,  but  by  mischance 
it  did  not  burn.  The  place  was  too  near  the  main  camp 
of  the  enemy  to  remain,  and  I  fell  back  some  five  or  six 
miles.  I  could  not  afford  to  be  encumbered  with  prison- 
ers, and  paroled  them,  and  sent  them  under  a  flag  of  truce 
to  General  Hovey ,  who  expressed  his  sense  of  the  courtesy, 
and  later,  as  I  heard,  sent  me  by  a  citizen  a  box  of  Ca- 
tawba wine  which  I  never  got.  There  being  no  more 
cotton  in  that  neighborhood  which  General  Hovey  could 
get,  I  moved  my  camp  to  where  now  stands  the  town  of 
Clarksdale,  camping  on  west  side  of  Sunflower  river. 
Here  I  learned  that  Colonel  Pinson,  with  the  regiment, 
was  in  the  county,  and  I  soon  joined  him,  and  the  regi- 
ment then  left  the  Delta,  burning  cotton  as  it  went,  for 
the  gathering  up  of  cotton  had  become  a  great  industry 
on  the  part  of  the  federals,  and  well  it  might,  for  it  was 
then  very  valuable. 


S4  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   illSSISSIPPIAX, 


CHAPTER   X. 

Brigaded  with  Colonel  W.  H.  Jackson,  Tennessee  cavalry — Briga- 
dier General  Frank  C.  Armstrong — Raid  into  Tennessee — Fight 
near  Bolivar — Death  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hogg,  of  Federal 
cavalry,  his  gallant  charge — Attack  Medon,  repulsed — Battle 
of  Denmark  or  Brittain's  Lane — Severe  loss — Captain  Beall's 
presentiment  and  death — Gallant  charge  of  Colonel  Wirt  Ad- 
ams— His  unfortunate  fate  after  the  war — Back  in  Mississippi — 
Move  towards  Corinth — Rout  Federal  Cavalry  at  Hatchie 
river — Colonel  Pinson  wounded — General  Van  Dorn's  advance 
on  Corinth — Battle  of  Corinth — Raid  around  Corinth — Narrow 
escape — Van  Dorn's  retreat — In  the  rear — Back  to  Ripley. 

Our  regiment  was  now  brigaded  with  Colonel  W.  H. 
Jackson's  Tennessee  cavalry  regiment  and  was  either  in 
the  same  brigade  or  the  same  division  with  this  gallant 
regiment  till  near  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  under 
the  command  of  colonel,  soon  promoted  to  be  brigadier 
general,  Jackson,  till  the  reorganization  of  all  the  cavalry 
in  this  department,  at  Columbus,  Mississippi,  just  before 
the  fall  of  Selma.  We  now  joined  him  not  far  from  Holly 
Springs,  and  there  was  soon  concentrated  the  largest  force 
of  cavalry  I  had  yet  seen  together.  In  addition  to  Jack- 
son's and  Pinson's  regiments  there  was  Colonel  Wirt 
Adams'  regiment  and  one  or  two  more.  General  Frank 
C.  Armstrong,  who  had  been  a  short  time  before  made 
a  brigadier  general  in  the  army,  arrived  and  took  the  com- 
mand, and  proceeded  to  cut  the  railroad,  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio,  upon  which  the  federal  army  at  Corinth  depended 
for  its  supplies.  We  crossed  the  Memphis  and  Charles- 
ton, at  or  near  the  Grand  Junction  and  moved  towards 
the  town  of  Bolivar,  but  were  met  by  a  strong  force  from 


IX    PEACE    AXD    WAR. 


§5 


that  place,  almost  in  sight  of  it,  and  a  severe  skirmish 
ensued,  with  some  loss  on  our  side  and  considerable  to  the 
federals.  A  gallant  charge  was  made  on  our  line  by  a 
cavalry  regiment  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Hogg, 
who  was  killed  in  the  charge  as  he  passed  through  our 
line  in  his  impetuous  onslaught.  After  the  federals  had 
retired,  one  of  the  men  informed  me  that  a  hog  was  try- 
ing to  mutilate  his  face,  and  I  had  his  body  picked  up 
and  put  on  a  fence,  as  I  knew  it  would  soon  be  recovered 
by  his  friends.  We  learned  his  name  from  some  pris- 
oners, and  he  was  a  gallant  man,  and  died  no  doubt,  in 
what  was  to  him  a  righteous  cause.  This  affair  I  suppose 
satisfied  General  Armstrong  that  it  would  be  impracti- 
cable to  attempt  anything  agaiust  the  Mobile  and  Ohio 
road,  if  indeed  the  project  had  ever  been  seriously  enter- 
tained, and  we  turned  our  attention  to  the  road  between 
Bolivar  and  Jackson.  This  road  we  cut  in  many  places,  but 
seeing  no  enemy  except  some  trestle  guards  who  were  cap- 
tured with  little  difficulty,  until  we  got  to  a  station  not  far 
from  Jackson,  called  I  think,  after  looking  over  the  map, 
Medon.  This  place  was  pretty  strongly  garrisoned,  but 
after  some  skirmishing  the  enemyretired  to  the  depot  which 
they  hastily  fortified,  as  they  were  determined  to  make  a 
brave  resistance.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  Colonel  Jackson 
sent  for  me  and  ordered  me  to  take  five  companies  of  the 
regiment  and  charge  the  depot  on  horseback.  To  go 
down  the  principal  and  almost  the  only  street  would,  I 
knew,  expose  the  men  to  certain  slaughter,  and  to  an  in- 
evitable repulse,  as  we  would  be  exposed  to  an  unseen 
enemy  for  at  least  two  hundred  yards,  without  shelter 
and  unable  to  fire  a  shot.  I  therefore  suggested  to  him 
before  making  the  attack,  that  I  should  reconnoiter  the 
ground  and  see  if  I  could  not  find  a  better  place  from 
which  to  make  the  assault,  to  which  he  agreed.  Leaving 
the  command  and  screened  by  some  houses,  I  got  to  within 


86  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPIAN, 

fifty  or  seven ty-five  yards  of  the  depot,  and  from  here  I 
determined  to  make  the  attack.  While  looking  at  the 
depot,  I  observed  several  hundred  men  approaching  it 
from  the  direction  of  Jackson,  my  first  thought  being 
they  were  a  part  of  our  force  about  to  attack  from  that 
direction,  but  I  was  soon  undeceived,  for  before  I  could 
get  back  to  the  line  the  cheers  of  the  force  in  the  depot, 
as  well  as  those  advancing,  gave  notice  of  reinforcements, 
which  compelled  us  to  retire.  It  was  now  dusk  and  we 
retired  to  the  first  creek  we  could  find,  and  there  biv- 
ouacked for  the  night.  Early  next  morning  we  started  on 
our  return  to  camp  in  Mississippi,  having  accomplished 
all  we  could  by  our  raid,  and  took  a  road  leading  towards 
a  place  or  town  called  Denmark.  The  whole  command 
was  worn  out,  and  decidedly  hungry,  since  we  had  been 
out  nearly  a  week,  and  away  from  our  wagon  trains,  and 
all  were  glad  to  get  back.  No  one  expected  any  further 
fighting,  and  all  anticipated  a  quiet  though  fatiguing 
march  to  camp.  While  marching  along,  it  so  happened 
I  was  riding  by  the  side  of  Captain  Beall,  and  I  observed 
he  was  unusually  quiet.  He  was  always  the  life  of  the 
camp,  a  genial,  jovial  gentleman.  At  last  he  told  me  he 
was  impressed  by  a  presentiment  he  would  be  killed  be- 
fore we  got  back  to  Mississippi.  I  laughed  at  him  and 
told  him  his  presentiment  would  come  to  nothing,  and 
that  he  himself  would  laugh  at  it  on  the  morrow,  that 
there  would  be  no  more  fighting  on  this  raid,  but  even  as 
we  were  talking,  firing  was  heard  a  mile  in  front,  and  we 
were  ordered  forward  at  a  gallop.  Colonel  Jackson's 
regiment  had,  I  think,  been  the  first  in  the  column  of 
march,  Pinson's  second  and  Wirt  Adams  third.  At  a 
place  called  Brittain's  Lane,  and  not  far  from  Denmark,  a 
force  from  Jackson,  two  regiments  of  infantry,  a  section 
of  artillery,  and  a  squadron  of  cavalry  had  advantageously 
posted  themselves  across  our  line  of  march. 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR.  87 

The  first  regiment  charged  them  at  once  and  dispersed 
their  cavalry,  which  made  off  in  the  direction  of  Jackson, 
and  was  not  again  seen  in  the  fight,  but  the  infantry  were 
too  many  and  too  strongly  posted,  and  stood  their  ground. 
Our  regiment  came  up  on  the  run,  and  were  ordered  to 
dismount  and  charge  on  foot,  and  were  gallantly  led  by 
Pinson  straight  to  the  enem}\  It  was  intensely  hot,  and 
the  men  suffered  much,  but  there  was  no  faltering.  It 
was  the  first  baptism  of  fire  which  most  of  them  had  ever 
received,  and  they  gave  promise  then  of  that  courage 
which  they  were  afterwards  to  display  on  many  a  battle 
field.  The  ground  was  broken  and  full  of  gullies,  but  we 
got  over  in  short  order,  and  drove  the  enemy  from  their 
first  position.  As  we  charged  on  foot,  Colonel  Wirt 
Adams  charged  in  column  along  the  road  straight  at  the 
enemy's  guns,  which  were  on  a  hill  in  the  road.  The 
guns  were  taken  and  carried  to  the  rear,  but  his  regiment 
was  compelled  to  retire  from  the  withering  fire  of  the 
enemy,  who  had  taken  a  new  and  strong  position  on  a 
ridge  in  the  woods,  but  little  in  the  rear  of  their  first  one, 
which  for  the  time  was  held  by  the  First  Mississippi. 
Colonel  Adams'  charge  was  a  brilliant  one,  and  as  I 
write  I  can  see  him  as  I  saw  him  then,  charging  at  the 
head  of  his  regiment  straight  at  the  guns;  we  were  not 
one  hundred  feet  apart.  Splendid  gentleman,  chivalric 
soldier,  how  sad  a  fate  was  his,  to  be  killed  in  a  street 
duel  by  a  young  man  he  ought  never  to  have  noticed,  and 
who,  fast  rising  to  distinction  as  the  editor  of  a  paper, 
used  it  as  some  of  his  class  do,  to  personally  attack  the 
character  of  better  men  to  their  own  shame  and  disgrace, 
and  to  the  reproach  of  the  noblest  and  most  useful  of  all 
occupations  of  modern  times.  He  also  was  killed  in  the 
duel.  When  we  got  to  the  enemy's  line,  or  near  to  it, 
before  they  gave  way,  I  was  near  enough  to  use  my  re- 
volver (I  had  two  fine  Tranters  given  me  by  my  friend, 


88  REMINISCENCES    OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAX, 

Judge  Burrus,  of  Bolivar  county),  but  when  we  were  first 
ordered  forward  I  had  drawn  my  saber,  and  forgot,  when 
I  sprang  from  my  horse,  to  take  them  out  of  the  holsters, 
where  up  to  that  time  I  had  always  carried  them.  I 
never  made  the  same  mistake  again,  for  I  discarded  hol- 
sters and  always  carried  one  pistol  in  a  scabbard  at  my 
belt.  The  loss  of  the  whole  command  was  considerable 
in  this  affair,  but  especially  so  in  the  First  Mississippi, 
for  we  had  fifty  men  killed  and  wounded.  Among  the 
killed  was  the  gallant  Captain  Beall,  whose  presentiment 
was  realized,  the  first  and  only  one  I  have  ever  known, 
though  I  have  read  and  heard  of  many.  By  my  side  was 
killed  Lieutenant  Mathews,  of  Captain  Marshall's  com- 
panj7,  as  he  was  cheering  his  men  to  the  fight.  Hearing 
his  voice  I  turned  to  look  at  him  just  in  time  to  see  him 
fall.  Captain  Chandler  was  severely  wounded,  and  after- 
wards was  made  a  surgeon,  and  his  company  was  com- 
manded by  his  first  lieutenant,  promoted  to  be  captain, 
Berry.  Other  names  I  do  not  now  recall.  Captain  Mar- 
shall I  had  not  noticed  in  the  fight,  but  when  the  firing 
had  ceased,  after  the  enemy  fell  back,  he  came  to  me  and 
said  he  was  too  much  exhausted  to  remain  longer  on  the 
field,  and  requested  permission  to  retire  to  the  horses, 
which  I  readily  gave  him,  for  I  was  nearly  broken  down 
myself.  While  Colonel  Pinson  and  myself  were  consult- 
ing as  to  the  advisability  of  renewing  the  assault  on  the 
enemy  by  a  flank  movement,  which  could  easily  have 
been  done,  as  we  believed,  we  were  ordered  back  to  the 
horses. 

To  my  surprise  then  and  now,  the  attack  was  not  re- 
newed, for  I  am  sure  they  were  defeated,  but  we  left  them 
in  possession  of  the  field,  and  by  a  circuitous  route  got 
into  the  road  again  some  miles  from  the  field  of  the  bat- 
tle, which  has  been  known  as  the  battle  of  Denmark  or 
sometimes  Brittain's  Lane.     We  got  back  to  camp  without 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  S9 

further  trouble,  the  ouly  incident  I  recall  beiug  Colonel 
Adams  sharing  with  me  a  cantaloupe  which  by  some 
means  he  had  got  hold  of  the  day  after  the  fight,  and 
which  was  very  acceptable  as  well  as  palatable,  for  we 
were  all  getting  anxious  for  our  rations. 

When  we  got  back  to  our  wagon  trains  in  Mississippi, 
in  a  few  days  General  Armstrong  left  us,  for  it  was  said 
that  his  assumption  of  the  command  as  brigadier-general 
was  premature,  it  being  some  months  after  this,  and  after 
Colonel  Jackson  had  been  promoted,  that  he  received  his 
commission.  All  of  the  cavalry  also  was  ordered  to  other 
places,  except  Jackson's  and  Pinson's  regiment  which  re- 
mained together  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Jackson 
as  senior  colonel. 

About  the  middle  of  September  our  brigade  began  to 
move  in  the  direction  of  Corinth,  going  by  way  of  Ripley, 
Mississippi,  and  there  turning  north  till  we  had  reached 
the  main  road  to  Corinth,  which  ran  parallel  with  the 
railroad,  and  then  going  directly  east  on  this  road,  in- 
tending to  cross  the  Hatchie  river  near  where  the  rail- 
road crossed  it.  Late  in  an  afternoon,  the  sun  was  just 
setting,  we  reached  an  old  village,  Pocahontas,  I  think  it 
was  called,  on  a  high  hill  from  which  the  road  sloped 
gradually  to  the  river,  perhaps  half  a  mile  away. 

The  village  seemed  almost  entirely  abandoned,  but  we 
caught  a  federal  cavalry-man,  and  from  him  learned  that 
a  regiment  of  federal  cavalry  had  just  gone  into  camp  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  that  he  had  succeeded  in  pass- 
ing the  guard  and  was  out  on  a  private  scouting  expedi- 
tion. I  knew  the  ground  of  their  camp  well,  for  we  had 
occupied  it  for  some  days  while  the  army  was  still  at 
Corinth,  and  there  was  a  certain  big  beech  tree  under 
which  I  had  had  my  quarters,  and  was  looking  forward 
to  as  a  place  of  rest  that  night.  Colonel  Pinson  notified 
Colonel   Jackson,  who  was  with    his   regiment  a   short 


90  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

distance  in  the  rear,  and  his  reply  was  to  charge 
them.  He  at  once  ordered  the  regiment  to  form  column 
of  fours  and  to  charge,  leading  the  way  himself  at  full 
speed.  The  country  was  perfectly  open  on  both  sides  of 
the  road  from  the  place  where  we  left  the  village  to  the 
river,  and  the  bottom  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  was 
heavily  wooded.  About  two  hundred  yards  from  the  bridge 
was  a  two-story  dwelling-house,  and  I  had  known  the 
name  of  the  family  living  there,  but  now  to  my  great  re- 
gret, have  forgotten  it.  There  had  been  no  confederates 
in  the  neighborhood  for  a  long  time,  but  frequent  federal 
scouts,  and  the  occupants  were  at  first  uncertain  who  we 
were,  but  when  they  knew,  just  as  I  passed  the  gate,  three 
ladies  came  running  from  the  house,  crying:  "Oh,  I  am 
so  glad  to  see  you,  but  don't  cross  the  river,  the  woods 
are  full  of  Yankees!"  It  was  dusk  as  we  reached  the 
bridge,  or  nearly  so,  a  miserable  concern,  that  only  two 
men  could  cross  on  abreast,  but  over  we  went,  the  enemy 
firing  wildly,  and  evidently  panic  stricken.  The  bridge 
could  have  been  defended  against  our  horseback  charge 
by  a  dozen  resolute  men,  but  as  we  learned  aftewards, 
all  the  officers  had  gone  over  to  this  dwelling-house  to 
get  supper,  and  were  in  it  when  we  passed,  at  least  many 
of  them,  including  the  commanding  officer.  These  all 
escaped  but  one  major,  who  was  with  the  men,  who  told 
me  next  day  he  was  under  arrest  for  overstaying  a  leave 
of  absence.  We  captured  fifty  prisoners  and  over  two 
hundred  horses,  and  would  have  no  doubt  got  more 
but  they  escaped  in  the  darkness.  The  only  man 
wounded  in  the  regiment  was  the  gallant  Pinson,  who 
was  severely  wounded  and  did  not  recover  for  some 
months.  Riding  up  in  the  gloom  to  a  squad  of  men  he 
saw,  thinking  they  were  some  of  his  own  men,  but  find- 
ing them  to  be  federals,  he  ordered  them  to  surrender, 
and  some  one  of  them  fired  on  him.     Colonel  Jackson  de- 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  9 1 

termined  to  get  away  at  once  with  the  prisoners,  and  we 
marched  nearly  all  night  in  the  direction  of  Ripley,  and 
next  evening  got  safely  away  to  that  place.  Colonel 
Pinson  was  sent  home  under  the  care  of  a  surgeon. 

We  remained  some  days  at  Ripley  and  in  the  vicinity, 
until  the  head  of  the  column  of  the  army  under  General 
Van  Dorn  marching  to  the  attack  on  Corinth  had 
reached  that  place,  when  Colonel  Jackson  moved  with 
the  cavalry  in  the  advance.  We  soon  reached  the  Hat- 
chie  river,  where  we  had  so  completely  routed  the  enemy 
a  short  time  before,  and  moved  directly  towards  Corinth. 
We  had  gone  only  a  few  miles  when  we  met  a  cavalry 
force,  my  regiment  being  in  advance,  and  Colonel  Jack- 
son ordered  a  charge,  an  order  that  it  seemed  to  me  he 
was  getting  very  fond  of  giving,  and  I  must  say  he  kept 
up  those  sort  of  orders  for  some  years  after.  This  time 
the  enemy  did  not  stand  to  fight,  but  we  kept  up  a  run- 
ning fight  with  them  for  two  or  three  miles,  without  any 
loss  on  either  side  so  far  as  I  know.  General  Van 
Dorn's  army  consisted  as  I  remember  of  General  Price's 
division  and  two  splendid  brigades  under  Generals 
Villipigue  and  Bowen,  with  sufficient  artillery,  but  I 
remember  no  cavalry  except  Colonel  Jackson's  brigade. 
The  cavalry  took  no  active  part  in  the  assault  on  the 
town,  though  we  were  close  in  support  of  General  Price 
when  he  gained  the  position  at  the  depot.  It  is  not  my 
purpose  or  a  part  of  my  plan  to  describe  this  battle,  or 
any  other  in  which  my  regiment  was  engaged  during  the 
war.  No  one  man  who  takes  a  part  in  a  battle  can  do 
this.  Only  the  commander-in-chief  in  a  fight  can  do  it, 
and  this  not  because  he  sees  it  all,  but  because  he  knows 
the  position  of  the  various  troops  taking  part  in  it  and 
receives  constant  reports  of  what  is  going  on.  I  can 
only  tell  what  I  actually  saw  myself   and  what  part  I 


92  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAX, 

or  the  command  with,  me  actually  took  in  a  battle  or 
fight. 

The  army  held  the  position  it  got  and  at  night 
bivouacked  on  the  field,  and  early  the  next  morning, 
the  5th  of  October,  the  fight  recommenced  with  renewed 
fur}'.  About  noon  Colonel  Jackson  was  ordered  to  go 
round  Corinth  to  the  Iuka  road,  which  was  on  the  di- 
rectly opposite  side  to  that  upon  which  the  attack  had 
been  made,  it  being,  I  think,  either  to  make  a  demon- 
stration on  that  side  or  because,  as  was  reported,  that 
the  enemy  were  preparing  to  retreat  in  that  direction. 
Whatever  was  the  reason,  he  went  with  his  whole  brig- 
ade, and  we  circled  round  the  town,  passing  many  de- 
serted picket  posts  and  not  seeing  an  enemy.  Mean- 
time the  roar  of  guns  and  small  arms  was  incessant, 
until  we  reached  a  road  running  east,  which  I  suppose 
was  the  Iuka  road. 

Here  suddenly  all  firing  between  the  armies  ceased, 
not  a  shot  was  heard,  and  the  silence  after  such  a  furious 
battle  was  almost  oppressive.  We  could  come  to  but 
one  conclusion,  and  that  was  that  the  enemy  had  sur- 
rendered, for  we  could  get  no  information  at  all. 

Colonel  Jackson  at  once  marched  back  over  the  route 
we  had  come,  till  we  came  to  a  road  leading  directly 
from  the  south  into  Corinth,  and  here  he  turned  into  this 
road  and  marched  straight  for  the  town,  from  which  we 
were  not  more  than  a  mile  away,  and  had  not  been  at 
any  time  in  this  movement  around  the  town,  though  it 
was  never  visible  because  of  intervening  woods.  Where 
we  turned  into  this  road  it  entered  a  valley  some  two  or 
three  hundred  yards  wide,  and  in  which  all  the  timber 
had  been  felled  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  on  either  side, 
making  it  wholy  impassable  except  along  the  narrow 
road  we  were  traversing. 

Passing  though  this  narrow  valley,  we  came  out  on  a 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


93 


beautiful  wooded  plateau  invisible  before,  and  upon  which 
there  were  hundreds  of  tents  as  it  seemed  to  me.  One 
solitary  soldier  was  found  in  them,  and  no  others  were 
visible  in  any  direction.  It  was  still  as  silent  as  the 
grave.  Moving  on,  a  squadron  of  my  regiment  being  in 
advance  under  Captain  Herrin,  we  suddenly  came  in  full 
view  of  the  enemy's  works  on  the  south  of  Corinth  with 
flags  flying  and  bristling  with  guns. 

Not  a  shot  was  fired  by  us  or  the  enemy,  who  were 
perhaps  not  so  much  surprised  as  we  were,  for  though 
we  did  not  know  it  our  army  had  retired  from  the  west 
side,  and  it  was  evident  from  our  cavalry  demonstration 
that  they  anticipated  we  were  about  to  attack  from  the 
south,  and  this  kept  them  quiet  in  their  works.  Colonel 
Jackson  ordered  me  to  form  my  regiment,  and  this  I  did, 
while  he  slowly  and  deliberately  countermarched  the 
balance  of  the  command.  It  was  not  till  he  had  reached 
the  narrow  road  in  the  valley,  and  the  head  of  his  column 
was  well  in  it,  that  I  received  an  order  to  follow,  which  I 
lost  no  time  in  doing.  Xothing  saved  my  regiment  from 
utter  rout  and  annihilation,  except  the  uncertainty  of  the 
enemy  as  to  what  our  demonstration  meant,  for  there 
would  have  been  no  chance  to  escape  across  this  narrow 
valley,  but  I  determined  if  attacked  to  go  directly  east 
in  hope  of  finding  a  way  out.  However,  we  got  back 
through  the  valley  safely  and  without  the  enemy  ever 
having  left  their  work.  The  whole  thing  occupied  but  a 
little  while,  but  it  seemed  hours  to  me  while  I  waited  in 
line  an  attack  which  I  could  not  have  successfully  re- 
sisted, and  from  which  I  saw  no  means  of  escape.  Col- 
onel Jackson  pursued  his  way  until  we  reached  the  road 
by  which  we  had  advanced  on  Corinth,  and  there  found 
the  army  in  full  retreat.  Our  brigade  covered  the  retreat, 
but  the  enemy  were  too  much  surprised,  and,  indeed,  had 
been  too  badly  cut  up  to  commence  a  vigorous   pursuit. 


94  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

We  were  in  more  danger  from  a  force  which  came  from 
Bolivar,  and  had  occupied  the  position  at  the  Hatchie 
river,  where  we  had  crossed.  This  compelled  us  to  seek 
another  crossing  lower  down  the  river  after  some  severe 
fighting  at  the  old  crossing,  but  at  last  the  whole  com- 
mand, with  all  our  wagon  trains,  were  safely  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river.  In  this  disastrous  assault  on  Corinth, 
General  Price's  division  suffered  most  heavily.  The 
enemy  made  a  vigorous  pursuit  almost  to  Ripley,  and 
my  regiment  was  kept  continually  in  the  rear  without 
wagons  or  rations.  I  remember  one  of  my  boys  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  at  a  farm  house  some  cold  sweet  pota- 
toes, and  gave  me  one,  a  large  one.  I  was  very  hungry 
and  I  began  on  it  in  earnest  as  I  rode  along,  but  the  first 
thing  I  knew  I  was  choking,  and  would  have  choked 
then  and  there  if  I  had  not  fortunately  have  had  some 
water  in  my  canteen.  It  took  me  a  long  time  to  eat  that 
potato,  but  I  at  last  got  through  with  it.  If  any  of 
my  readers  have  never  tried  to  eat  a  cold  sweet  potato 
and  see  how  hard  it  is  to  swallow  it,  I  recommend  them 
to  try  it.  In  this  retreat  to  Ripley,  a  dozen  times  in  a 
day  I  was  ordered  to  halt  and  hold  the  position  assigned 
me  till  further  orders,  but  always  as  the  enemy  advanced, 
and  just  as  the  skirmishing  became  brisk,  I  would  re- 
ceive an  order  to  retire  to  another  position,  a  little  in 
rear. 

Finally,  within  a  few  miles  of  Ripley,  the  enemy 
ceased  their  pursuit  and  to  my  great  relief  retired.  I 
was  then  permitted  to  go  to  our  wagon  trains  which  I 
found  at  Ripley,  and  for  the  first  time  in  many  days  we 
all  had  a  much  needed  rest,  and  what  was  more  to  the 
purpose  an  abundance  of  rations. 

The  army  retired  to  Holly  Springs;  in  fact  by  the 
time  I  reached  Ripley,  was  perhaps  already  there,  and  we 
soon  followed.     General  Van  Dorn  was  a  gallant  soldier, 


IN    PEACE   AND  WAR.  95 

but  as  the  commander  of  the  department  was  singularly 
unfortunate.  Within  the  short  space  of  two  months,  he 
had  assaulted  Baton  Rouge  and  Corinth  with  disastrous 
results  in"  both  places,  and  lost  thousands  of  good  men 
killed  and  wounded.  But  this  good  came  from  these  as- 
saults: it  made  veterans  of  the  soldiers,  both  men  and 
officers,  and  prepared  them  for  the  arduous  services  and 
the  bloody  battles  that  were  to  come  in  the  next  three 
years. 


g6  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   XL 

Army  at  Holly  Springs — General  Pemberton — Fight  with  Grierson 
in  Coldwater  Bottom — Two  nameless  heroes — Old  Lamar, 
enemy  advances — Evacuation  of  Holly  Springs — Report  to 
General  Pemberton  at  Jackson — General  Gregg  of  Texas — 
Trouble  with  General  Jackson — Correspondence  with  General 
Pemberton  and  secretary  of  war — Grenada,  court  martial — 
Charges  preferred  by  General  Jackson — Acquitted  and  ordered 
back  to  the  Regiment — President  Davis  reviews  army  at 
Grenada. 

The  army  lay  at  Holly  Springs  some  weeks,  and  dur- 
ing- that  time  General  Pemberton  arrived  and  took  com- 
mand of  the  department,  with  headquarters  at  Jackson. 
Colonel  Jackson's  regiment  and  my  own  went  into  camp 
about  ten  miles  northwest  of  Holly  Springs,  while  Colo- 
nel Jackson  took  up  his  quarters  in  that  place,  as  a  con- 
venient place  to  command  the  cavalry,  there  being  other 
regiments  and  some  artillery  at  that  time  under  his  com- 
mand, but  not  with  our  two  regiments,  where  I  was  the 
senior  officer  in  command.  It  was  about  that  time  and  I 
believe  before  the  army  left  Holly  Springs,  that  Colonel 
Jackson  was  promoted  to  be  brigadier  general.  While  at 
this  camp  Colonel  Jackson,  for  at  the  date  of  the  order 
he  had  not  been  promoted,  sent  me  an  order  to  take  four 
companies  of  his  regiment  and  four  of  my  own  and  go  on 
a  scout  in  the  direction  of  Hernando,  and  look  out  for  a 
raid  by  the  afterward  celebrated  Grierson,  who  report 
said  had  left  Memphis  and  was  scouting  in  our  direction. 

Captain,  afterwards  Colonel,  W.  F.  Taylor  of  Jackson's 
regiment  was  the  senior  officer  in  command  of  the  two 
squadrons  of  that   regiment,   and   Captain  Wheeler  the 


IN   PEACE   AND    WAR.  97 

senior  captain  of  the  Mississippi  squadrons.  Taking 
three  or  four  days  cooked  rations  without  wagons,  I 
moved  as  rapidly  as  possible  and  crossed  the  Coldwater 
river  on  a  bridge  not  very  far  from  Hernando,  with  scouts 
out  in  every  direction  to  see  if  I  could  hear  of  Colonel 
Grierson.  I  could  not  locate  him,  and  as  I  had  been  out 
about  as  long  as  was  contemplated,  I  recrossed  the  river 
at  the  same  bridge  to  return  to  camp.  I  had  gone  per- 
haps two  miles  from  the  bridge  and  had  gotten  out  of  the 
bottom  and  into  the  hills,  when  Captain  Jack  Bowles, 
who  had  formerly  commanded  the  Lafayette  county 
company,  the  first  year  of  the  war,  overtook  me  and  re- 
ported that  he  had  a  small  force  of  scouts  and  had  been 
skirmishing  with  Grierson  on  the  other  side  of  the  Cold- 
water,  about  five  miles  from  the  bridge  at  which  I  had 
crossed,  and  that  he  was  coming  in  that  direction.  I  at 
once  countermarched  and  went  to  find  him,  which  I  did, 
much  sooner  than  I  expected.  The  Coldwater  bottom, 
where  I  re-entered  it,  was  all  woods  and  we  could  see  but 
little  ways.  We  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  and 
to  within  about  half  a  mile  of  the  bridge,  when  our  ad- 
vance guard  after  firing  a  shot  or  two,  came  back  in  hot 
haste.  I  had  barel)'  time  to  form,  in  fact  my  lines  were 
not  fully  formed,  when  I  found  that  Grierson 's  whole 
regiment  was  impetuously  charging.  My  men  after  an 
ineffectual  volley  gave  way  for  a  time  with  the  loss  of 
two  killed  in  Wheeler's  company,  and  several  wounded 
in  the  command.  The  confusion  lasted  only  a  short  time 
for  the  men  were  easily  rallied,  and  in  our  turn  we  ad- 
vanced. Colonel  Grierson  finding,  I  suppose,  a  larger  and 
better  organized  force  than  he  had  expected,  retired  imme- 
diately, and  before  we  could  reach  the  Coldwater,  had 
crossed  and  torn  up  the  bridge.  I  had  no  means  of  repair- 
ing it,  and  besides  could  not  have  overtaken  him,  so  after 

7 


98  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

remaining  on  the  ground  that  night  and  giving  the  two 
brave  fellows  who  had  fallen,  a  soldier's  burial  in  a  sol- 
dier's grave,  I  returned  to  camp.  They  fell  in  no  great 
battle,  but  they  were  heroes  of  the  war,  and  deserve  all 
the  honors  which  have  been  or  can  be  paid  to  our 
heroic  dead,  most  of  whom  sleep  as  do  these  in  unknown 
and  forgotten  graves,  remembered  perhaps  in  this  instance 
only  by  me,  and  even  I  have  forgotten  their  names. 
They  came  from  the  hills  and  valleys  of  Calhoun  county, 
whence  many  other  brave  men  in  the  regiment  and 
army  had  come,  and  many  of  these  also  gave  their  lives 
to  the  sacred  cause  of  southern  rights.  But  what  are 
names  in  a  military  story!  they  die  and  are  forgotten 
save  in  the  rare  cases  where  transcendent  genius  has 
made  them  a  part  of  great  events  in  the  world's  history; 
but  the  deeds  of  those  brave  but  nameless  men,  whose 
heroic  constancy  is  the  rock  upon  which  great  names  are 
built,  never  die;  they  live  ever  the  guiding  star  of  future 
generations,  to  incite  them  to  like  heroic  deeds. 

Shortly  after  this  little  affair  in  the  Coldwater  bottom, 
Colonel  Jackson  came  out  to  the  two  regiments,  and  after  a 
full  inquiry  into  it  in  the  presence  of  all  the  officers  of  both 
regiments,  not  only  acquitted  me  of  all  blame,  but  praised 
my  conduct  of  the  affair.  I  would  not  mention  this,  but 
there  is  a  sequel  to  it.  We  were  now  moved  nearer  to 
Holly  Springs,  and  to  one  of  the  roads  leading  directly 
north  from  that  place,  for  it  was  now  known  that  Gen- 
eral Grant  was  concentrating  a  large  force  at  Grand 
Junction,  where  he  had  two  railroads  to  supply  him,  one 
going  north  and  the  other  to  Memphis,  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  invade  the  state  from  that  base  of  supplies.  Here 
we  found  Colonel  Slemmons'  Arkansas  cavalry  regiment 
and  a  battery  of  artillery  attached  to  Jackson's  command. 
The  enemy  having  commenced  their  advance  as  was  evi- 
dent, Colonel,   or  as  I  will  hereafter  name  him,  General 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  99 

Jackson,  as  he  was  then  or  very  shortly  afterwards  pro- 
moted, sent  an  order  to  Colonel  Slemmons  to  move  the 
command  towards  old  Lamar,  an  old  village  which  had 
been  built  before  the  railroad,  but  afterwards  abandoned 
for  a  newer  place  directly  on  the  road,  of  the  same  name, 
I  believe.  Colonel  Slemmons  sent  the  order  to  me,  as  he 
was  sick  or  feeling  too  unwell  to  take  the  command  out, 
and  as  I  was  the  officer  next  in  rank,  I  took  the  command 
and  moved  out. 

Parallel  to  the  road  I  was  traversing  was  another  road 
also  leading  to  Holly  Springs,  the  two  coming  together 
some  mile  and  a  half  from  old  Lamar,  as  I  now  remember, 
and  it  was  plain  from  a  great  cloud  of  dust  to  be  seen  on 
the  other  road,  or  rather  rising  high  above  the  trees 
which  hid  the  road,  that  a  large  body  of  troops  was  on 
that  road.  I  was  under  the  impression  that  this  probably 
was  at  least  a  cavalry  force  moving  from  Holly  Springs  on 
that  road.  When  I  arrived  at  the  place  where  my  road 
turned  almost  at  right  angles  towards  the  other  road,  I 
halted  awhile  and  sent  forward  a  squadron,  under  Cap- 
tain King,  one  of  the  most  careful  officers  I  had,  with  di- 
rections to  keep  out  flankers  and  go  as  far  as  he  safely 
could,  and  after  he  had  gotten  perhaps  a  mile  in  advance, 
moved  forward  with  the  command.  The  road  was  now 
a  lane  between  two  open  fields,  with  fences  on  each  side, 
and  very  much  cut  up  by  gullies.  I  advanced  slowly  for 
nearly  a  mile,  when  I  saw  Captain  King  coming  back. 
I  at  once  halted  till  he  came  up,  and  he  reported  he  had 
gone  to  the  other  road  and  found  that  a  large  force  of 
the  enemy  had  gone  along  it  towards  Holly  Springs,  and 
had  passed  the  point  of  intersection  before  he  had  reached 
it.  I  immediately  ordered  the  command,  being  in  column 
of  fours,  to  wheel  by  fours,  and  began  to  move  back. 
About  that  time  several  of  the  enemy's  scouts  appeared, 
just  as  an  aide  from  the  general,  whose  name  was  Jones 


IOO  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

reached  me.  These  scouts  had  come  directly  across  the 
field  from  their  column  on  the  other  road,  and  were  near 
enough  to  fire  at  my  column,  though  without  doing  any 
damage.  I  could  not  where  I  was  deploy  the  command, 
and  therefore  made  haste  to  get  out  of  my  dangerous 
position.  A  little  ways  back  General  Jackson  had  halted 
with  his  body  guard  and  the  artillery,  and  on  my  reach- 
ing him  at  once  began  to  move  towards  Holty  Springs, 
but  left  the  road  we  were  on  and  took  a  circuitous  route 
around  it.  We  reached  that  place  late  at  night,  and 
it  was  evacuated  by  all  our  forces,  the  army  going  to 
Grenada,  the  cavalry  remaining  in  the  rear.  Holly 
Springs  was  at  once  occupied  by  the  enemy  and  made  the 
base  of  supplies  for  their  further  advance. 

In  a  day  or  two  after  this,  and  while  the  cavalry  was 
at  Waterford,  south  of  Holly  Springs,  I  received  an  order 
from  General  Jackson  to  report  to  General  Pemberton  at 
Jackson.  The  order  was  a  great  surprise  for  I  could  not 
conceive  its  purpose,  but  I  at  once  proceeded  to  obey. 

Some  changes  had  taken  place  in  the  regiment  since 
its  reorganization;  Major  Wheeler  had  been  relieved 
from  active  service  in  the  field  because  of  ill  health,  and 
Captain  Simmons,  the  senior  captain,  promoted  to 
major,  Lieutenant  Tom  Kennedy  succeeding  him  in 
command  of  the  Carroll  count}'  company;  Lieutenant 
Cravens  succeeding  Captain  Beall,  and  that  brave  old 
soldier  Lieutenant  William  Steele  commanding  the  Tal- 
lahatchie company,  Captain  Marshall  being  sick  at  home 
and  not  rejoining  his  company  for  a  long  time  and  soon 
after  resigning,  when  Steele  was  promoted  to  be  captain. 
I  turned  over  the  regiment  to  Major  Simmons,  Colonel 
Pinson  not  having  as  yet  recovered  sufficiently  to  resume 
command.  I  went  at  once  to  Jackson  and  reported  to 
General  Pemberton,  who  wanted  to  know  why  I  was 
ordered  to  report  to  him.     Of  course  I  was  surprised  at 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  IOI 

this,  as  I  did  not  know,  and  he  requested  me  to  call  the 
next  morning.  I  did  so,  and  he  gave  me  an  order  to 
report  to  General  Gregg,  of  Texas,  who  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  post  at  that  time.  I  found  General  Gregg 
to  be  a  true  southern  gentleman,  and  I  shall  always 
cherish  his  memory  as  long  as  I  live,  for  his  advice 
saved  me  from  doing  what  afterwards  would  have  been 
a  life  long  regret. 

After  a  loug  talk  with  him,  we  both  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  course  General  Jackson  had  taken  was 
an  indirect  way  of  censuring  me  for  what  he  may  have 
thought  was  carelessness  in  the  advance  towards  old 
L,amar,  and  he  agreed  with  me  that  I  ought  not  to  sub- 
mit without  a  protest.  My  first  thought  was  to  resign, 
but  this  he  so  strongly  advised  me  not  to  do,  and  gave 
me  so  many  good  reasons  why  I  should  not,  among 
others  that  I  ought  not  to  allow  a  West  Pointer  to  drive 
me  from  the  army,  that  I  saw  he  was  right.  I  was  very 
indignant  at  what  I  conceived  to  be,  as  it  was,  unjust 
treatment  to  be  charged  with  I  knew  not  what  and  con- 
victed without  a  trial.  By  General  Gregg's  advice  I  ad- 
dressed through  him  a  respectful  communication  to  Gen- 
eral Pemberton,  setting  out  my  rank  and  regiment,  and 
requesting  that  I  be  returned  to  it,  or  if  there  was  any 
complaint  against  me  that  charges  should  be  regularly 
preferred,  that  I  might  have  a  chance  to  meet  them. 
After  waiting  some  days  and  no  satisfactory  reply  being 
made,  I  addressed  through  General  Gregg  a  similar  com- 
munication to  the  secretary  of  war,  and  about  ten  days 
or  two  weeks  later  received  an  order  from  General  Pem- 
berton to  report  at  Grenada  to  a  court  martial,  a  general 
court  martial,  organized  at  that  place  to  answer  certain 
charges  preferred  against  me  by  General  Jackson.  To 
Grenada  I  repaired  immediately,  and  found  upon  inquiry 
that    General    Jackson   had   preferred    two   charges   of 


102  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAX, 

neglect  of  duty,  one  in  connection  with  the  Coldwater 
affair,  at  which  I  was  extremely  surprised,  and  the  other 
the  affair  near  Lamar.  The  specifications  charged  me  in 
each  instance  with  having  failed  to  send  out  a  proper 
advance.  I  never  knew  till  long  after  the  war  whether 
this  order  came  from  the  secretary  of  war  or  from  Gen- 
eral Pemberton.  But  after  the  war  my  friend,  General 
Marcus  Wright,  who  was  in  Washington  City  in  charge 
of  the  confederate  war  records,  sent  me  my  original 
letters  to  General  Pemberton  and  the  secretary  of  war 
with  his  endorsement  on  it  to  give  me  a  trial,  or  for  in- 
stant action  if  there  were  any  charges  against  me.  I 
took  a  copy  of  this  and  returned  the  original  to  General 
Wright,  and  I  suppose  it  is  in  Washington  now.  I  de- 
fended myself  before  the  court  martial,  and  I  could  not 
help  being  amused,  while  vexed,  at  the  procedure. 

General  Jackson  was  himself  a  witness,  and  it  may  be 
supposed  I  was  not  in  a  very  good  humor  with  him. 
His  testimony  was  fair,  but  when  it  came  my  time  to 
cross-examine  him  I  had  to  write  my  question  on  a  slate 
and  submit  it  to  the  court  before  it  was  propounded. 
Two  of  the  questions  the  court  hesitated  about,  and 
while  they  consulted  we  were  both  requested  to  retire, 
and  this  we  did,  to  a  gallery  adjoining  the  room,  and 
there  walked  solemnly  up  and  down,  without  speaking, 
till  we  should  be  recalled. 

The  same  thing  happened  with  his  aide,  Jones,  to 
whom  in  fact  I  attributed  all  the  trouble.  I  was  acj 
quitted  by  the  court  on  all  the  charges  and  ordered  to  re- 
join my  regiment.  It  was  during  this  trouble  that  Van 
Dorn  made  his  brilliant  dash  on  Holly  Springs,  and  com- 
pelled the  retreat  of  General  Grant,  and  this  greatly  to 
my  regret  I  missed. 

So  far  as  I  know,  there  is  only  one   member  of  this 


IX    PEACE   AND    WAR.  103 

court  now  living,  and  that  is  my  fried,  Captain,  now 
Judge  E.  O.  Sykes,  of  Aberdeen. 

It  was  long  before  I  forgave  General  Jackson,  and  for 
a  long  time  our  relations  were  of  the  most  formal  kind, 
but  he  was  really  a  good  officer,  and  as  such  I  greatly 
respected  him,  and  the  time  came  when  it  was  all  for- 
gotten, as  a  little  incident  which  I  will  relate  in  its  proper 
place,  if  I  do  not  forget,  will  show. 

My  gallant  friend,  General  Gregg,  to  whom  I  owed  the 
fact  that  I  did  not  resign,  was  ordered  to  the  command 
of  a  brigade  in  Virginia,  and  there  died  gloriously  upon 
the  field  of  battle,  but  as  long  as  I  live  I  wall  revere  his 
memory,  and  I  hope  when  I  cross  over  the  river  to  meet 
him  among  the  first  of  the  brave  comrades  whom  I  hope 
to  greet  on  that  other  shore. 

The  following  is  the  correspondence  alluded  to: 

Jackson,  Miss.,  November  14,  1862. 
Lieut. -Gen.  Pemberton,  Comd'g,D.  M.  & E.  La.: 

General — On  the  nth  of  this  month,  by  order  of  Col- 
onel W.  H.  Jackson,  Chief  of  Cavalry  A.  W.  Tennessee, 
I  was  relieved  from  command  of  my  regiment  and  or- 
dered to  report  to  you.  This  I  lost  no  time  in  doing,  and 
to  my  surprise  was  informed  on  yesterday  by  Major 
YVaddy,  A.  A.  Gen.  this  department,  that  I  would  be  or- 
dered to  report  to  General  Gregg  and  assigned  to  duty  here. 
I  have  been,  General,  for  the  past  seventeen  months 
in  active  cavalry  service,  for  twelve  months  as  senior 
captain  of  the  regiment  to  which  I  am  now  attached,  and 
for  the  balance  of  the  time  in  my  present  position,  and  so 
far  as  I  know  have  never  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  incur 
either  the  censure  or  displeasure  of  my  superiors  in  either 
position.  Under  the  circumstances  I  cannot  but  feel  that 
the  order  relieving  me  from  my  command,  without  notice 
and  without  charges,  is  an  imputation  upon  my  character, 


104  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

and  does  me  great  injustice  as  an  officer.  I  therefore  re- 
spectfully and  earnestly  protest  against  being  separated 
from  my  regiment.  I  respectfully  ask  to  be  ordered  back 
to  my  regiment,  and  that  Colonel  Jackson  be  required  to 
place  his  reasons  for  thus  removing  me  in  such  a  form 
that  I  can  meet  them  in  a  manner  becoming  an  officer  in 
the  confederate  army.  I  confidently  appeal,  General,  to 
your  sense  of  justice  and  right  in  this  matter,  and  will 
cheerfully  submit  to  any  investigation  and  shrink  from 
no  inquiry  you  may  see  proper  to  order. 

I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

F.  A.  Montgomery, 
Lieut. -Col.  First  Mississippi  Cavalry. 

The  following  is  the  answer: 

Headquarters  Dept.  Miss.  &  E.  La. 
Jackson,  Nov.  it,  1862. 
I/t.-Col.  F.  A.  Montgomery,  1st  Miss.  Cavalry. 

Colonel — In  answer  to  your  communication,  I  am  in- 
structed by  lieutenant-general  commanding  to  inform  you 
that  you  were  relieved  from  the  command  of  your  regi- 
ment, and  ordered  to  this  point,  for  the  want  of  proper 
activity  in  the  exercise  of  the  command  of  your  regiment. 
If  you  desire  a  court  of  inquiry,  it  will  be  ordered  as  soon 
as  the  interest  of  the  service  will  admit  of  it,  but  at  this 
time  you  cannot  be  ordered  back  to  duty  with  your  regi- 
ment.        I  am,  Colonel,  very  respectfully, 

J.  R.  Waddy,  A.  A.  Gen' I. 

I  at  once  addressed  another  communication  to  General 
Pemberton,  requesting  to  be  relieved  from  post  duty 
pending  an  investigation,  a  copy  of  which  I  have  not, 
but  the  answer,  which  I  append  a  copy  of,  indicates  what 
it  was. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  105 

Headquarters  Dept.  M.  &  E.  La. 
Jackson,  Miss.,  Nov.  18,  1862. 
Lt.-Col.  F.  A.  Montgomery,  1st  Miss.  Cav.: 

Colonel — In  reply  to  your  communication  of  this  day's 
date,  requesting  that  you  be  relieved  from  duty,  I  am 
directed  by  the  lieutenant-general  commanding  to  say 
that  you  cannot  be  relieved  from  duty.  A  board  of  ex- 
aminers will  be  instituted  as  soon  as  practicable,  who  will 
determine  whether  you  are  competent  to  command  First 
Mississippi  Cavalry.  The  lieutenant-general  command- 
ing is  not  acquainted  with  the  particulars  of  your  case, 
not  having  seen  Colonel  Jackson;  he  was,  however,  in- 
formed that  such  proceedings  would  best  promote  the 
good  of  the  service. 

I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  W.  Menninger,  A.  A.  Gen. 

Determined  not  to  submit  to  this,  and  be  quietly  shelved 
as  a  scapegoat  for  another's  negligence,  I  then  addressed 
the  following  communication  to  the  secretary  of  war, 
through  the  adjutant-general  of  the  army: 

Jackson,  Miss.,  Nov.  20,  1862. 
General  S.  Cooper,  Adjt.-Genl  Con.  Army. 

General — I  beg  leave  respectfully  to  ask  the  attention 
of  the  secretary  of  war  to  the  following  facts:  On  the 
nth  of  this  month  I  was  relieved  from  the  command  of 
my  regiment  (the  colonel  being  absent  wounded),  by 
order  of  Colonel  W.  H.  Jackson,  commanding  cavalry, 
army  of  west  Tennessee,  and  ordered  to  report  to  Lieu- 
tenant-General  Pemberton.  Upon  reporting  to  General 
Pemberton  I  was  assigned  to  duty  here,  whereupon  I  ad- 
dressed to  him  a  respectful  protest  against  being  sepa- 
rated from  my  regiment,  a  copy  of  which  I  send  here- 
with, as  also  the  answer  to  the  protest  informing  me  I 


106  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

was  relieved  from  command  for  want  of  the  exercise  of 
proper  activity  in  command  of  my  regiment.  I  then  re- 
spectfully asked  that  a  court  of  inquiry  might  be  ordered 
to  investigate  my  case,  and  also  that  I  might  be  relieved 
from  duty  till  the  court  could  meet.  In  the  reply,  which 
is  also  submitted,  I  am  informed  that  as  soon  as  practi- 
cable aboard  of  examiners  would  be  instituted,  who  would 
decide  whether  I  was  competent  to  command  my  regi- 
ment. 

This  board,  as  I  suppose,  is  to  be  appointed  under  an 
act  of  congress  to  relieve  the  army  of  incapable  and  in- 
competent officers,  and  before  which  I  must  appear  as 
already  judged  incompetent  by  my  commanding  officers. 
I  solemnly  aver  that  I  believe  myself  to  have  been  un- 
justly and  without  cause  relieved  from  my  command,  and 
I  demand  as  a  right  guaranteed  to  me  by  the  articles  of 
war  of  the  confederate  army  that  a  court  of  inquiry  shall 
be  ordered  to  investigate  whether  it  be  so  or  not.  I  re- 
spectfully state  that  I  am  a  native  of  Mississippi;  that  I 
took  up  arms  at  the  commencement  of  this  war  from  no 
desire  except  that  of  doing  my  duty,  as  became  a  south- 
ern man;  that  I  have  continued  in  the  service  to  the 
present  time  without  ever  having  incurred  the  censure  of 
my  commanding  officers;  that  at  this  time  the  state  is 
invaded,  and  my  regiment  is  in  the  face  of  the  enemy, 
while  I  am  deterred  from  striking  a  blow  in  its  defense, 
and  I  respectfully  ask,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  no  charge 
is  preferred  against  me,  as  will  appear  from  the  statement 
of  Lieutenant-General  Pemberton  that  he  is  not  ac- 
quainted with  the  particulars  of  my  case,  that  the  secre- 
tary of  war  would  cause  me  to  be  returned  to  my  regi- 
ment to  await  the  action  of  the  court  of  inquiry,  and  I 
respectfully  ask,  as  an  act  of  justice   to  myself,  that  an 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  IOJ 

investigation  shall  be  ordered  at  the  earliest  posssible 
moment. 

I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
F.  A.  Montgomery, 

Lieut. -Col.  First  Miss.  Cav. 

Upon  this  letter  are  the  following  indorsements: 

This  officer  was  relieved  from  the  command  of  his 
regiment  for  alleged  incompetency.  He  protests  against 
his  removal  and  applies  for  a  court  of  inquiry,  and  in  the 
meantime  appeals  to  the  secretary  of  war  to  be  returned 
to  his  regiment  till  the  result  before  the  court  is  ascer- 
tained. Nothing  is  known  of  the  case  here,  except  as  it 
is  presented  within.  The  commanding  general  is  com- 
petent to  decide  on  the  propriety  of  the  removal  and  to 
order  the  court  demanded  by  Lieutenant- Colonel  Mont- 
gomery. 

Respectfully  submitted  to  secretary  of  war. 

S.  Cooper, 

Decent  ber  1 1 ,  1 8  6  2 .,  A  sst.  In  .-Gen. 

These  papers  are  returned  to  Lieutenant- General  Pem- 
berton.  The  act  of  the  13th  act  authorizes  a  general 
commanding  a  department  when  the  good  of  the  service 
and  the  efficiency  of  his  command  requires  it,  and  it  is 
his  duty,  to  appoint  an  examining  board,  and  to  be  com- 
posed of  officers  of  a  rank  as  high  as  that  of  the  officer 
complained  of,  to  inquire  of  the  qualifications  of  the 
officer  to  discharge  the  duties  of  his  rank.  The  act  pro- 
ceeds: "That  when  such  board  determines  the  officer 
clearly  unfit  to  perform  his  legitimate  and  proper  duties, 
or  careless  and  inattentive  in  their  discharge,  they  shall 
make  a  full  report  of  their  proceedings  to  the  general 
commanding,  who  shall,  if  he  approve  the  finding  of  the 


108  REMINISCENCES   OF  A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

board,  suspend  the  officer  who  has  been  found  unfit,  and 
shall  transmit  the  decision  and  finding  to  the  secretary  of 
war  with  the  action  thereon.  Provided,  that  the  officer 
shall  be  entitled  to  be  heard  and  have  witnesses  in  his 
defense."  The  action  in  this  case  seems  to  have  com- 
menced with  the  measure  with  which  it  should  have 
ended  after  trial  and  conviction.  The  measure  of  calling 
an  examining  board  belongs  to  the  general  alone,  and  a 
subordinate  commander  has  no  authority  to  discharge 
from  his  rank  and  position  an  officer  on  the  ground  of 
incompetency  in  advance  of  the  sentence  of  the  board, 
and  the  judgment  of  the  commanding  general.  This  re- 
view of  the  papers  is  not  made  with  any  intention  of 
prejudicating  the  case,  nor  of  deciding  whether  the  facts 
be  accurately  stated,  or  to  question  the  propriety  of  any 
officer's  conduct,  but  simply  to  say  that  upon  the  face  of 
this  statement,  there  is  matter  proper  for  instant  action. 
By  order  of  secretary  of  war. 
Dec.  1 8,  1862.  J.  A.  Campbell,  Asst.  Sec. 

Respectfully  referred  to  Lieut. -Gen.  J.  C.  Pemberton. 
By  command  of  secretary  of  war. 

C.  H.  Lee, 
A.  and  In.  G.  O.  Major  and  A.  A.  Gen. 

Dec.  22,  1862. 

As  I  have  before  said  General  Jackson  chose  to  prefer 
charges  against  me  regularly  before  a  general  court 
martial,  and  I  was  promptly  acquitted  and  restored  at 
once  to  my  regiment  in  consequence  of  this  action  of  the 
secretary  of  war  ordering  "instant  action"  in  my  case, 
for  his  suggestion  wTas  equivalent  to  an  order.  I  have 
long  since  forgiven  the  men  who  treated  me  unjustly  in 
this  matter,  and  have  refrained  from  giving  the  real 
reasons    for   it,    with   the   names   of    those   chiefly   re- 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  109 

sponsible,  for  I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to  say  any- 
thing unkindly  of  any  true  confederate  soldier.  It  is 
enough  for  me  that  I  was  vindicated  and  that  I  never 
lost  the  confidence  and  respect  of  my  comrades  by  reason 
of  this  prosecution. 

While  the  army  was  at  Grenada,  President  Davis  paid 
us  a  visit,  the  first  he  had  paid  to  the  state  after  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  confederacy  and  the  last  till  he 
had  been  released  from  Fortress  Monroe.  All  the  in- 
fantry and  artillery  were  in  line,  and  were  estimated  to 
be  twenty  thousand  men.  The}'  presented  a  splendid 
appearance,  and  received  Mr.  Davis  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm  as  he  rode  along  the  long  line,  halting  in 
front  of  each  regiment  as  he  reached  its  center  and  re- 
turning its  salute.  He  presented  a  fine  soldierly  appear- 
ance, and  looked  to  me  as  young  as  he  had  when  I  heard 
him  speak  in  1S51  in  Fayette,  as  elsewhere  related. 
Mr.  Davis  and  my  father  had  been  classmates  at  the 
same  college  in  Kentucky,  and  I  had  for  a  long  time  a 
letter  written  by  my  father's  guardian,  in  1S23,  from 
Natchez,  now  lost,  but  in  which  special  mention  was 
made  of  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis.  This  old  letter  would  be 
interesting  to  publish  if  I  now  had  it,  though  it  has  once 
been  published  in  the  "Greenville  Times,"  when  that 
paper  was  controlled  and  edited  by  that  distinguished 
editor,  Captain  J.  S.  McXeilly.  Only  once  did  I  ever 
make  known  to  Mr.  Davis  that  I  was  the  son  of  his  old 
friend  and  schoolmate,  and  that  was  when  he  came  to 
Jackson  after  the  war  as  a  guest  of  the  state  upon  the 
invitation  of  the  legislature,  of  which  at  the  time  I 
was  a  member.  He  was  then  bowed  down  with  age  and 
infirmities,  but  his  mental  faculties  were  not  impaired. 
It  was  while  addressing  the  legislature  on  this  occasion 
that  he  said,  "My  friends,  I  have  been  asked  why  I 
never  have  sought  a  pardon,  the  reason  is  I  have  never 


IIO  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

repented."  For  him  this  was  right;  the  high  place  he 
had  held,  the  indignities  to  which  he  had  been  subjected 
while  a  prisoner  in  Fortress  Monroe,  all,  in  my  opinion, 
justified  him  in  living  and  dying  an  unrepentant  rebel, 
as  the  government  chose  to  consider  him — a  consistent 
and  uncompromising  confederate  as  he  lives  in  the  hearts 
of  his  own  loved  people  of  the  south.  Again,  once  more, 
if  not  oftener,  I  must  speak  of  him  before  these  memoirs 
close. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR  m 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Columbia,  Tennessee— General  Forrest — Van  Dorn — Sick  leave — 
Faithful  servant  Jake  Jones — Cross  delta  in  dug-out — Metho- 
dist preacher  and  his  wife — Lost  for  day  and  night — Home — 
"Featherbeds" — Anecdotes — Fight  of  "Featherbeds"  at  my 
place — Houses  all  burned  by  Federals — Privations  of  the 
people — Return  to  army — Incidentals  of  trip — Rejoin  regi- 
ment at  Mechanicsburg. 

General  Grant  having  abandoned  his  attempt  to  march 
through  the  state  to  Vicksburg,  proceeded  to  concentrate 
his  forces  on  the  river  above  that  city,  and  our  army  was 
withdrawn  from  Grenada,  and  mostly  concentrated  in  and 
around  Jackson,  Mississippi;  but  our  cavalry  brigade  was 
sent  to  Columbia,  Tennessee,  where  a  large  cavalry  force 
was  assembled  under  General  Van  Dorn,  whose  brilliant 
exploit  at  Holly  Springs  had  given  promise  of  greater 
usefulness  as  a  cavalry  commander  than  as  the  com- 
mander of  a  department.  This  was  early  in  1S63,  and 
this  was  to  be  a  busy  year  for  our  cavalry  brigade.  As 
well  as  I  recall  it,  we  reached  Columbia  early  in  February 
of  that  year,  and  here  found  also  General  Forrest,  so  that 
we  had  with  us  the  two  most  distinguished  cavalry  com- 
manders who  had  yet  gained  fame  on  the  left  of  our  line 
of  defense  in  the  west.  My  health  had  been  bad  for  some 
time,  and  I  was  compelled  while  at  Columbia  to  ask  for  a 
leave  of  absence,  and  this  was  very  difficult  to  obtain.  I 
could  not  have  gotten  it  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  strong 
personal  recommendations  of  Generals  Van  Dorn  and 
Forrest,  for  orders  had  been  issued  by  General  Bragg  that 
no  furloughs  or  leaves  of  absence  should  be  granted,  but 
all  sick,  whether  officers  or  men,  should  be  sent  to  the 


112  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

hospital.  I  had  known  General  Forrest  before  the  war, 
but  had  not  before  met  him  since  the  war  began;  and 
both  he  and  General  Van  Dorn  interested  themselves  so 
muoh  for  me  that  General  Bragg  signed  my  leave  for 
sixty  days.  I  never  met  the  gallant  Van  Dorn  again,  for 
not  long  after  his  capture  of  Spring  Hill  he  was  killed  in 
a  private  difficulty  with  a  gentleman  whose  name  I  do 
not  mention,  in  the  very  midst  of  his  army,  and  whose 
daring  deed  and  dashing  escape  were  long  the  talk  of  the 
command.  What  General  Van  Dorn  might  have  become 
as  a  cavalry  commander  if  he  had  lived,  can  only  be  sur- 
mised; but  all  believed  that  he  would  have  become  among 
the  greatest,  if  not  the  greatest,  of  our  cavalry  leaders. 
He  had  won  distinction  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  in  a 
fight  afterwards  with  Indians,  and  the  legislature  of  Mis- 
sissippi had  voted  him  a  sword.  But  peace  to  his  ashes; 
let  his  faults  be  buried  with  him,  and  his  virtues  and  de- 
votion to  his  cause  alone  be  remembered. 

In  the  affair  at  Spring  Hill  my  regiment,  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Pinson,  won  new  honors  for  him  and 
itself;  but  as  I  did  not  participate  in  it,  I  attempt  no  de- 
scription of  this  battle.  I  made  my  way  slowly  towards 
my  home,  and  when  I  reached  Carroll  ton,  some  time  in 
March,  I  found  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  home  on 
horseback,  the  delta  being  almost  entirely  under  water 
from  the  Mississippi  river. 

I  had  with  me  a  favorite  servant,  whose  name  was 
Jake  Jones,  and  I  determined  to  cross  the  Yazoo  river, 
and  buy  a  canoe  (or  dug-out,  as  these  little  boats  are 
called  in  the  delta),  and  make  my  way  home  by  water. 
I  had  purchased  Jake  Jones  a  year  or  two  before  the  war, 
for  a  house-servant  and  carriage-driver,  and  he  was  a 
very  bright  boy,  though  without  education  of  any  kind. 
I  had  had  him  with  me  during  the  war  up  to  that  time, 
and  kept  him  with  me  for  some  months  longer;  but  so 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  II- 

many  of  my  negroes  had  gone  to  the  federals  before  the 
end  of  that  year,  leaving  only  a  few  old  men  and  boys 
and  women  and  children,  that  I  determined  to  send  him 
home  and  take  a  younger  boy.  I  knew  that  he  could  if 
he  would,  and  I  believed  he  would,  be  of  great  use  in 
taking  care  of  my  family  and  of  the  other  negroes.  I 
told  him  that  if  the  south  was  conquered  in  the  war  he 
would  be  free;  if  the  south  was  successful  and  he  was 
faithful  to  his  trust  I  would  give  him  his  freedom.  He 
was  faithful  to  the  end,  and  without  him  I  don't  know 
how  my  wife  could  have  managed  and  provided  for  those 
who  were  dependent  on  her. 

Poor  fellow,  after  the  war  he  fell  into  bad  habits,  drink- 
ing and  using  that  horrible  drug,  morphine,  and  one 
night  murdered  a  negro  woman.  The  proof  was  clear,  it 
was  a  cold-blooded  murder,  but  the  jury  was  merciful  and 
gave  him  a  life  sentence.  Three  days  later  he  committed 
suicide  in  jail,  and  I  was  glad  he  had  the  courage  to  do  it. 
Jake  Jones  was  like  many  other  negroes  in  the  south, 
faithful  to  their  owners  and  protecting  and  preserving 
their  families  while  the  owner  was  away  in  the  army,  but 
whom  freedom  ruined.  Xot  many,  however,  of  the  old 
slaves  of  the  south  have  been  found  in  the  criminal  class; 
few  of  them  have  committed  crimes,  and  this  unfortunate 
one's  crime  was  due  to  that  which  makes  a  fiend  of  an}7 
man,  whether  he  be  white  or  black. 

I  crossed  the  Yazoo  river  at  or  near  Sidon,  and  for  a 
mile  or  two  on  the  other  side  had  high  and  dry  land  on 
the  plantation  of  a  gentleman,  whose  name  I  forget;  but 
he  kindly  consented  to  care  for  my  horses  till  the  water 
went  down,  and  then  sent  me  on  in  a  dug-out  to  Mr. 
Waites',  the  old,  and  I  believe,  at  that  time,  sheriff  of 
Sunflower  county.  The  water  surrounded  Mr.  Waites' 
house  on  all  sides,  but  his  yard  was  dry.  Here  I  found  a 
Methodist   preacher,    who  was   on   his  way  to  his   cir- 


114  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

cuit  in  the  Delta,  just  on  the  other  side  of   Sunflower 
river,  and  on  my  route  home.     His  name  was  Flower, 
and  he  had  his  wife  with  him.     He  had  procured  a  very- 
large  dug-out,  and  when  I  got  to  Mr.  Waites'  he  was 
busy  trying  to  make  it  lighter,  and  as  it  was  big  enough 
for  us  all,  including  his  wife's  trunk,  not  one  of  the  huge 
affairs  of  these  days,  we  soon  agreed  to  be  companions  as 
far  as  he  intended  to  go,  and  Jake  Jones  went  to  work 
with  him  and  they  soon  had  the  dug-out  all  right.     The 
next  morning  after  breakfast,  and  with  a  lunch  for  each, 
we  started  across  the  bottom  to  make  Sunflower  river  be- 
fore dark.     When  we  started  I  inquired  of  Mr.  Flower  if 
he  was  certain  he  knew  the  way,  as  I  wished  to  stop  at 
an  old  bear  hunter's  house  a  little  off  the  road,  and  not 
far  from  Mr.  Waites' ,  and  hire  him  to  pilot  us  across  to 
the  river.     But  Flower  said  he  was  certain  there  was  no 
trouble;  he  had  come  over  the  road  a  few  days  before, 
and  that  we  just  followed  the  road  which  had  been  plainly 
cut   out   till  we   came   to   a  cane  ridge  which  the  road 
crossed,  where  the  water  was   too  shallow  to  float   our 
boat,  and   there  we  went  round  the  ridge  till  we  came 
to  the    road    on    the  other  side,   and  then  it  was  plain 
sailing  to  the  river.     I  let  him  have  his  way,  though  I 
was  not  satisfied.     We  got  along  all  right  till  we  got  to 
the  ridge  and  then  started  round  it.     We  never  did  get 
round  it,  but  we  paddled  till  dark.     Mr.  Flower  lost  his 
head  completely,  as  men  always  do  when  they  find  they 
are  lost,  and  he  finally  agreed  to  give  up  the  direction  of 
the  trip  to  me.     I  was  a  good  woodsman,  though  I  had 
never  been  there  before.     At  dark  we  pulled  up  by  the 
side  of  a  big  log,  and  there  passed  the  night  as  well  as  we 
could.     It  was  a  lonely  night,  with  the  water  deep  enough 
to  float  a  steamboat,  and  I  never  before  or  since  heard  as 
many  unearthly  noises,  but  I  did  not  feel  at  all  uneasy, 
for  I  knew  we  must  ultimately  strike  either  the  Sunflower 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  115 

or  Yazoo  river.  Next  morning  I  determined  to  follow  an 
old  float  road  in  which  we  found  ourselves,  knowing  that 
it  would  bring  us  to  the  brake  from  which  the  timber  had 
been  floated,  when  we  could  turn  and  follow  it  out,  or  to 
one  or  the  other  of  the  rivers.  About  eleven  o'clock  we 
found  ourselves  at  the  very  place  where  we  had  turned  to 
go  round  the  ridge,  and  we  recognized  the  place  by  a 
fence  which  was  partly  visible.  It  was  not  far  to  the 
bear  hunter's,  and  we  made  for  the  place  and  found  him 
at  home.  His  wife  got  us  some  breakfast  and  he  went 
with  us  to  the  Sunflower.  We  went  on  to  where  Mr. 
Flower  had  his  home,  and  I  there  spent  the  night,  leav- 
ing early  next  morning  in  a  lighter  boat.  I  had  no  fur- 
ther trouble,  as  by  keeping  in  bayous  I  knew,  on  the  fifth 
day  after  I  had  crossed  the  Yazoo  I  found  myself  at  home, 
or  at  the  temporary*  home  which  my  wife  was  occupying, 
to  her  surprise  and  joy  as  well  as  my  own. 

Here  for  some  weeks  I  enjoyed  a  delightful  rest,  and 
rapidly  recruited  my  health.  The  water  was  falling  and 
the  roads  to  the  river,  some  ten  miles  off,  were  open,  and 
there  was  some  little  danger  from  federal  raids,  but  not 
much,  for  I  had  timely  notice  when  they  were  out.  The 
federals  had  a  camp  at  the  mouth  of  White  river,  and 
would  now  and  then  cross  cavalry  to  this  side,  but  they 
soon  returned  when  they  came,  and,  except  on  one  or 
two  occasions,  did  no  damage.  Once  they  had  come  to 
where  my  family  was  staying,  and  inquired  for  me,  but 
were  told  that  I  was  in  the  army;  and,  except  looking 
through  the  house  for  arms,  which  they  did  not  find,  they 
gave  no  trouble.  My  neighbor  and  kinsman,  Major  W. 
E.  Montgomery,  did  not  fare  so  well;  they  burned  his 
house  to  the  ground,  though  his  family  was  living  in  it 
at  the  time.  This  was  about  two  miles  from  where  my 
wife  was  living,  and  the  fire  could  plainly  be  seen,  and 
this,  of  course,  added  to  the  apprehensions  my  wife  felt. 


Il6  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

Mrs.  Montgomery  (the  major's  wife)  succeeded  in  saving 
some  of  her  furniture,  and,  I  believe,  some  of  the  good- 
natured  federals  even  helped  her. 

Major  Montgomery  commanded  the  state  troops  in  the 
county,  and  had  a  commission  from  the  state,  but  his 
command  was  considered  by  the  federals  as  guerrillas. 
They  were  nicknamed  by  the  people  and  soldiers  "feath- 
erbeds,"  because  they  always  scattered  at  night  and  slept 
in  their  own  or  other  people's  houses,  and  were  usually 
safe  in  doing  so,  as  raids  were  seldom  made  at  night. 
However,  on  one  occasion,  the  major  and  two  or  three 
of  his  men  were  captured  at  night.  They  were  sleeping 
soundly  when  a  raid  guided  by  a  negro  came  on  them. 
A  small  guard  w7as  left  with  them  while  the  raid  went  on 
to  another  house.  The  house  in  which  the}'  had  caught 
the  major  was  in  a  small  clearing  surrounded  by  cane. 
They  did  not  know  who  the}-  had  caught,  and  when  the 
main  body  went  on  the  major  pretended  to  have  some- 
thing the  matter  with  him,  and  asked  one  of  the  guards 
to  walk  round  the  yard  with  him,  which  he  agreed  to  do. 
The  major  took  care  to  walk  in  the  direction  of  the  cane, 
and  his  guard  asked  him  about  the  game  in  the  country, 
and  if  there  were  any  bear,  and  if  they  were  ever  dan- 
gerous. The  major  told  him,  as  was  at  that  time  true, 
that  there  were  plenty  of  bear,  but  they  seldom  attacked 
men.  Just  then  a  noise  was  made  by  a  cow  or  mule  in 
the  cane,  and  the  major  said:  "There's  one  now."  His 
guard  turned  with  his  gun  presented  towards  the  noise, 
and  the  major  made  a  bold  dash  to  the  cane  in  another 
place,  and,  though  he  was  fired  on,  escaped. 

The  first  lieutenant  of  the  "featherbeds"  was  my 
brother-in-law  (we  had  married  sisters),  and  nearest 
friend,  Joseph  Sillers.  This  gentleman,  at  the  breakiug 
out  of  the  Mexican  war,  was  living  near  Vicksburg,  and 
joined    a    company   from   that    place  which   was  in  Mr. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  II7 

Davis's  regiment  in  Mexico,  and  was  in  the  battles  of 
Monterey  and  Buena  Vista.  He  was  to  me  a  brother, 
and,  when  I  went  into  the  army,  to  him  I  entrusted  my 
family  and  all  my  affairs.  Two  or  three  months  before 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  taken  prisoner  at  my  house, 
where  he  had  stopped  to  take  dinner,  and  carried  first  to 
Cairo,  but  soon  taken  to  Vicksburg,  where  he  was  taken 
sick  and  died.  Just  as  I  got  home  from  the  war,  news  of 
his  death  came  to  the  county,  and  his  wife  sent  to  Vicks- 
burg at  once,  but  his  grave  could  not  be  located,  This 
company  of  home  guards  did  a  great  deal  of  good,  for 
they  overawed  the  lawless  element  in  the  county,  and 
there  were,  the  last  two  years  of  the  war,  many  who  now 
and  then  passed  through  it.  They  cost  me,  however,  a 
great  loss,  for  it  happened  I  had  an  abundance  of  forage 
on  my  place  on  the  river,  and  they  made  it  a  frequent 
stopping  place.  One  day,  a  transport  with  a  regiment  of 
soldiers  on  it  landed  at  my  landing,  and  a  skirmish  en- 
sued, wdiich  enraged  the  federals,  and  they  burned  every 
house  on  the  place,  except  one  shanty  in  which  an  old 
negro  and  his  wife  were  living.  Perhaps,  the}'  might  not 
have  done  this,  but  according  to  the  old  negro's  account, 
they  had  a  man  killed  in  the  skirmish,  while  the  "feath- 
erbeds"  got  away  without  harm. 

I  found  at  home  this  time  several  old  fashioned  spin- 
ning wheels  and  a  loom,  and  spinning  and  weaving  going 
on  all  the  time.  Very  good  cloth  was  made  not  only 
for  the  negro  wear,  but  some  really  nice  weaving  was 
done  for  the  children  and  ladies.  Sugar,  coffee  and  wheat 
flour  were  luxuries  seldom  indulged  in,  though  when  I 
was  at  home  I  had  coffee  if  it  was  to  be  had,  for  to  me  it 
was  more  than  a  luxury,  and  still  is.  Indeed,  I  managed, 
or  my  wrife  did,  to  keep  me  in  coffee  even  in  the  army, 
and  I  wTould  often  make  it  myself  in  a  tin  cup,  first  boil- 
ing the  water,  then  putting  in  coffee,  let  it  boil  again, 


Il8  REMINISCENCES  OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

and  if  I  had  sugar,  as  I  generally  had,  stirring  it  all  up 
together  and  when  it  settled  drink  it.  All  these  are  tri- 
vial matters,  but  all  go  to  make  up  the  history  of  the 
times  when  the  delicate  and  refined  women  of  the  south 
cheerfully  submitted  to  hardships  and  privations,  to 
which  they  had  been  unaccustomed,  while  the)'  gave  their 
husbands  and  sons  to  a  cause  they  deemed  holy.  And  it 
was  holy,  for  any  cause  which  brought  these  virtues  so 
conspicuously  to  the  front,  and  which  was  consecrated  by 
the  blood  of  so  many  of  our  best  and  bravest  must  needs 
be  holy,  though  the  sacrifices  were  made  and  the  blood 
was  shed  in  vain.  But  no,  I  will  not  say  that,  for  in  the 
years  which  are  to  come,  when  the  men  and  women  who 
took  part  in  the  great  events  of  that  time  are  all  gone, 
they  will  still  live  in  song  and  story,  and  be  among  the 
treasured  memories  of  the  nation.  The  want  of  medicine 
was  among  the  great  privations  of  that  time,  and  all  sorts 
of  substitutes  were  sought,  especially  for  quinine,  re- 
garded as  indispensable  in  chills  and  fever,  then  much 
more  prevalent  than  now.  For  this,  willow  bark  tea  and 
cobweb  pills,  and  some  other  specific  I  have  forgotten, 
were  used,  and  would  break  chills. 

While  I  was  at  home  a  raid  came  within  two  miles  of 
me,  and  from  a  secure  place  in  a  cane  break,  with  an  im- 
passable bayou  between  us,  I  had  a  good  view  of  the 
whole  force  while  they  remained  in  a  neighbor's  yard, 
and  wished  for  a  company  or  two  from  the  first  Missis- 
sippi. As  to  the  "featherbeds,"  I  don't  know  where 
they  were,  all  I  know  is  the  raid  came  and  went  in  peace. 

The  waters  had  fallen,  my  health  was  restored  and  my 
leave  about  to  expire,  I  prepared  to  leave.  I  sent  for  my 
horses  and  found  they  had  been  well  cared  for,  and  took 
leave  of  my  wife  and  family.  I  found  when  I  reached 
the  hills  that  my  brigade  had  been  recalled  to  Mississippi, 
and  had  just  gone  to  Mechanicsburg  on  the  extreme  right 


IX    PEACE   AN'D    WAR.  1 19 

of  the  army  which  General  Johnston  was  assembling  at 
Jackson  to  relieve  Vicksburg,  after  General  Pemberton 
had  allowed  himself  to  be  shut  up  in  that  city.  This 
was  about  the  last  days  of  May,  1863,  or  early  in  June, 
the  exact  date  not  being  remembered. 

Some  pleasant  incidents  of  that  trip  back  to  the  com- 
mand I  recall,  and  here  record  for  my  own  pleasure,  if 
not  that  of  my  readers. 

Halting  one  night  just  at  dark  after  a  long  day's  ride 
in  the  hills  which  I  had  reached  that  morning,  I  requested 
permission  of  a  gentleman  who  came  to  his  gate  at  my 
call,  to  stay  all  night  and  for  food  for  my  horses  and 
servant.  He  expressed  regret  but  said  his  house  was  full 
of  friends  who  had  refugeed  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the 
enemy,  and  he  could  not  possibly  entertain  me.  I  told 
him  I  wanted  nothing  but  food  and  forage,  and  would 
make  my  bed  under  a  tree  in  his  lawn.  But  to  this  he 
was  unwilling,  insisting  that  a  ride  of  half  a  mile  more 
would  bring  me  to  a  house  where  he  knew  I  would  be 
entertained.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  go  no  further, 
and  told  him  I  was  too  tired  and  would  camp  where  I 
was.  He  was  evidently  perplexed,  as  he  did  not  wish  to 
be  inhospitable,  but  while  we  were  talking  a  little  girl 
some  ten  or  eleven  years  old  came  from  the  gallery  of  the 
house  not  far  away,  and  whispered  to  him.  He  looked 
at  me  with  a  smile  and  said  his  little  daughter  insisted 
room  could  be  made  for  me,  and  requested  me  to  dis- 
mount. 

I  followed  him  to  the  gallery  where  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  ladies  and  children,  and  took  a  seat.  I  saw  at 
once  unless  his  house  was  larger  than  it  looked  his  ex- 
cuse was  a  good  one.  After  being  seated  awhile  and  hav- 
ing said  where  I  was  going,  one  of  the  young  ladies 
asked  me  if  I  knew  Colonel  Montgomery  of  the  First 
Mississippi  Cavalry.    On  my  replying  that  I  was  the  man, 


120  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

she  introduced  herself  as  Miss  Grant,  a  daughter  of  my 
friend,  General  Grant,  of  Coahoma  county,  and  a  brother 
of  my  young  friend  Everhard,  or  as  he  was  called  in  his 
company  Leb.  Grant.  She  was  not  at  home  when  I  was 
in  that  count}*  interfering  with  the  laudable  efforts  of  Gen- 
eral Hovey  to  get  cotton.  The  gentleman  at  whose 
house  she  was  now  staying,.  Dr.  Thomas  L.  Meade,  was 
a  relative,  and  the  whole  family,  when  they  learned  who 
I  was,  were  glad  I  had  not  been  turned  from  the  door, 
as  they  all  fancied  themselves  under  some  obligations  to 
me  for  supposed  kindness  to  her  brother.  I  spent  a 
pleasant  night  with  this  estimable  family  and  was  es- 
pecially charmed  with  the  sweet  little  daughter  of  my 
host,  to  whose  intercession  I  owed  my  entertainment. 

The  next  day  at  noon  I  came  to  a  nice  looking  cottage 
by  the  road  side,  and  hailed  from  the  gate  to  know  if  I 
could  get  dinner  and  rest  awhile,  and  was  invited  by  the 
servant  who  came  to  the  door  to  come  in. 

I  went  to  the  gallery  and  spread  my  blanket  and  laid 
down,  but  in  a  few  moments  a  charming  young  lady 
came  to  the  door  and  invited  me  into  the  parlor  to  rest 
on  the  sofa.  After  a  few  minutes  of  pleasant  conversa- 
tion, she  left  me  to  prepare  dinner,  but  not  before  she 
had  informed  me  she  was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Tradewell, 
and  that  her  father  was  absent  on  professional  business. 
I  enjoyed  the  sofa,  an  old  fashioned  one,  and  was  sleep- 
ing soundly  when  she  called  me  to  a  dinner  such  as 
soldiers  seldom  had  a  chance  to  eat.  During  the  meal  I 
made  inquiries  as  to  certain  families  who  once  I  knew  had 
lived  in  that  section  of  the  country,  who  were  related  to 
me',  and  who  had  been  visited  by  my  mother,  taking  me 
with  her,  when  I  was  a  small  boy.  She  knew  all  about 
them,  and  on  her  mother's  side  was  related  to  them,  and 
one  of  them  I  learned,  a  Mrs.  Deloach,  was  living  a  few 
miles  further  on  my  road.      She  had,  when  a  girl,  lived 


IN"    PEACE    AND    WAR.  121 

with  my  mother,  and  I  remembered  her  well.  My 
charming  hostess  had  a  good  deal  to  ask  about  a  certain 
lieutenant,  afterwards  Captain  Johnson,  of  Colonel 
Starke's  regiment,  and  fortunately  I  was  enabled  to  give 
him  truly  a  high  character  as  a  soldier.  She  knew  him 
well  as  a  man  as  he  was  a  near  neighbor,  and  as  a  matter 
of  fact  they  were  engaged  to  be  married,  and  were  mar- 
ried after  the  war.  I  left  in  time  to  get  to  my  cousin's, 
Mrs.  Deloach,  where  I  spent  the  night.  I  have  never 
seen  these  good  people  since;  most  of  them  are  dead,  but 
Captain  Johnson  and  his  wife  were  living  a  few  years 
ago  and  I  hope  still  are.  The  next  night  I  stopped  at  a 
wayside  tavern  a  few  miles  from  Yazoo  City,  kept  as  I 
found,  by  a  Methodist  preacher  named  Pearce,  whom  I 
had  known  years  before  in  Jefferson  county,  an  earnest 
and  sincere  man.  I  attended  his  family  prayers  night 
and  morning,  and  I  was  impressed  with  the  earnestness 
with  which  he  prayed  that  "God  would  deliver  us  from 
our  remorseless  enemies. "  It  is  a  curious  thing  in  the 
history  of  Christian  nations  when  at  war  with  each  other, 
that  devout  men  and  women  on  either  side  invoke  with 
zeal  and  faith  the  aid  of  Deity,  and  when  victory  comes 
to  one,  Te  Deums  are  sung,  while  to  the  other  sorrow 
and  humiliation  and  often  oppression  are  brought.  I  be- 
lieve it  to  be  true  that  out  of  all  great  wars  good  has 
come  to  the  common  cause  of  humanity,  for  "He  maketh 
even  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him." 

Another  day  brought  me  to  my  command,  from  whom 
I  had  been  separated  about  two  months,  and  I  was  de- 
lighted to  be  back,  and  received  both  from  men  and 
officers  a  cordial  welcome. 


122  REMINISCENCES   OF   A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

General  Cosby — Skirmishing — Letter  to  wife — Son  of  General 
Thomas  Hinds— Letter  to  wife  4th  of  July,  1863 — General 
Joseph  E.  Johnston,  move  to  relieve  Vicksburg — Brigade  or- 
dered forward  to  the  attack — Surrender  of  Pemberton — Fall 
back  on  Jackson — Confederacy  cut  asunder — How  General 
Dick  Taylor  crossed  river — Effect  of  fall  of  Vicksburg — Pem- 
berton blamed  severely — Loyalty  doubted — Siege  of  Jackson — 
Evacuation  of  Jackson — Judge  Sharkey — "Camp  near  Bran- 
don " — Letters  to  my  wife — Captain  Herrin's  dash  at  federals 
— Captain  Herrin  captures  foraging  party — Lightning  kills 
man  in  camp — Scout  into  Jefferson  county,  General  Clark — 
"Count  Wallace." 

The  brigade  was  commanded  by  Brigadier-General 
Cosby,  who  had  been  recently  assigned  to  it,  but  whom 
I  had  never  seen  or  even  heard  of  till  now.  There  were 
four  regiments  and  King's  Missouri  battery  under  his 
command,  and  constituted  the  first  brigade  of  General 
W.  H.  Jackson's  cavalry  division.  The  following  regi- 
ments composed  our  brigade  at  that  time:  1st  Mississippi, 
Colonel  Pinson;  Colonel  Gordon,  2d,  I  believe;  Colonel 
Starke,  28th,  and  Ballentine's  regiment,  Colonel  Ballen- 
tine,  which  regiment  was  composed  partly  of  Tennessee 
companies  and  one,  at  least,  Mississippi  company,  com- 
manded by  Captain  R.  H.  Taylor,  of  Sardis,  Panola 
county  (who  at  this  writing  is  still  living),  a  splendid 
company  and  gallantly  commanded. 

The  other  brigade  was  not  far  away,  and  was,  as  well 
as  I  remember,  commanded  by  Colonel  (afterwards 
brigadier-general)  Ross,  the  gallant  Texan.  Colonel 
Jackson's  old  regiment,  and  at  the  time  Colonel  Wirt 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


123 


Adams',  Colonel  Ross',  and  some  other  cavalry,  I  don't 
remember,  made  the  second  brigade. 

In  my  regiment  Adjutant  Sykes  had  been  compelled 
to  retire  from  active  service  on  account  of  ill  health,  and 
that  brave  boy,  William  Beasley,  the  sergeant-major, 
had  been  promoted  in  his  place,  and  Tom  Wilson,  a 
nephew  of  Colonel  Pinson,  had  been  made  sergeant- 
major. 

Captain  Herrin's  squadron,  his  own  company  and 
Captain  Lester's,  which  had  been  detached  for  some  time 
on  duty  near  Ponchatoula,  here  rejoined  the  regiment. 
Soon  after  my  arrival  I  paid  my  respects  to  General 
Cosby,  and  was  very  unfavorably  impressed  with  his 
capacity  as  a  commander,  which  subsequent  knowledge, 
while  he  had  the  command,  several  months,  only  con- 
firmed, but  adhering  to  my  purpose  to  sa}T  as  little  as 
possible  in. adverse  criticism  of  confederate  officers,  I  will 
say  no  more  about  him  on  that  line. 

We  were  in  touch  with  the  enemy,  and  frequent 
skirmishes  occurred  on  the  picket  line  with  small  loss  to 
either  side,  except  on  one  occasion,  which  I  find  referred 
to  in  a  letter  to  my  wife  (one  of  the  two  or  three  I  have) 
and  from  which  I  here  make  some  extracts: 

'Camp  near  Mechanicsburg,  June  27,  1863. 
.  .  .  A  few  days  ago  two  regiments  from  the  com- 
mand were  sent  out  on  a  scout,  and  had  a  pretty  sharp 
fight  with  the  Yankees,  capturing  about  thirty  and  kill- 
ing as  many  more,  our  loss  about  twenty  killed  and 
wounded.  Howell  Hinds,  who  is  here  attached  to  Wirt 
Adams'  regiment  (one  of  those  engaged)  as  a  sort  of 
free  fighter,  I  suppose,  was  dangerously  wounded.  A 
few  days  later  General  Cosby  went  out  with  several 
regiments,  mine  among  the  rest,  but  we  saw  no  Yankees. 
Colonel  Pinson  was  out  of  camp  sick,  I  expect  him  back 


124  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

to  day.     .     .     .     It  is  impossible  to  say  when  and  where 
General  Johnston  will  move,  no  one  knows  but  himself. 

We  can  hear  at  this  camp  every  cannon  fired  at 
Vicksburg,  and  some  days,  and  even  nights,  the  firing 
has  been  terrific.  I  have  heard  no  guns  yesterday  or  to- 
day. I  confess  I  have  my  fears  whether  we  will  be  able 
to  save  the  place,  but  hope  for  the  best.  If  there  is 
abundance  of  supplies  there,  and  it  is  said  there  is,  I 
have  no  fears  but  the  garrison  can  hold  out  some  time 
yet,  and  I  suppose  General  Johnston  will  certainly  move 
against  the  enemy  in  time  to  save  the  place.  But  John- 
ston's plans  are  only  known  to  himself.  There  is  a 
story  in  camp  that  he  told  a  lady  the  other  day  who 
asked  him  some  questions  that  "if  he  thought  his  hat 
knew  the  thoughts  of  his  head  he  would  burn  it  up." 

This  was  an  old  story  told  of  some  eminent 
commander  of  a  former  age  which  I  had  read  some- 
where, but  it  served  to  amuse  the  camp,  and  did  not 
lessen  the  confidence  the  army  already  began  to  feel  in 
General  Johnston.  The  Howell  Hinds  mentioned  in 
the  letter  was  a  son  of  the  famous  General  Thomas 
Hinds  of  Mississippi's  early  history,  and  was  now  well 
advanced  in  years,  had  been  my  neighbor  when  I  lived 
in  Jefferson  county,  and  was  a  man  of  large  property  in 
that  county  and  Washington,  and  I  was  surprised  to 
hear  he  was  with  the  army. 

Learning  that  he  was  at  a  house  a  few  miles  only  from 
camp,  I  went  to  see  him,  and  he  said  his  reason  for  com- 
ing into  the  army  was  that  he  thought  the  time  had 
come  when  every  man  who  could  shoulder  a  gun  should 
turn  out  and  fight  for  his  home.  He  was  badly  wounded, 
but  he  recovered  from  the  wound  only  to  be  killed  in  a 
private  difficulty  not  his  own,  in  the  city  of  Greenville, 
within  two  years  after  the  war,  while  trying  to  separate 
two  friends  who  were  fighting. 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  1 25 

Every  day  we  were  anxiously  waiting  for  orders  to  ad- 
vance, and  expecting  them  at  any  moment,  and  ready  at 
a  moment's  notice.  The  fateful  4th  of  July  came  and 
found  us  still  in  camp;  and  on  that  morning  I  wrote 
again  to  my  wife,  having  a  chance  to  send  the  letter, 
which  is  one  of  those  preserved,  and  I  make  some  ex- 
tracts from  that,  as  showing  the  feeling  which  prevailed, 
for  the  sentiments  I  expressed  were  not  only  my  own, 
but  those  which  prevailed  among  the  soldiers. 

Camp  near  Mechanicsburg,  July  4,  1863. 
.  .  We  are  living  pretty  hard  at  present;  some 
days  we  have  tolerably  good  fare,  and  others  pretty  bad. 
Every  day  nearly  some  of  the  boys  bring  me  a  pint  or 
so  of  fine  blackberries,  of  which  there  are  great  quantities 
in  this  country,  and  I  enjoy  them  very  much.  Roasting 
ears  are  also  ripe  now,  and  we  will  not  starve. 

Time  still  drags  on,  and  we  have  not  yet  attacked  the 
Yankees;  but  I  think,  from  the  signs  of  the  times,  it  will 
not  be  much  longer  postponed.  The  attack  may  at  any 
moment  commence,  and  I  hope  and  believe  we  will  be 
able  to  whip  them  and  relieve  our  gallant  arm}-  in  Vicks- 
burg,  who  for  so  many  weeks  have  been  shut  up  in  their 
works,  exposed  to  an  incessant  storm  of  shot  and  shell. 
I  saw  extracts  the  other  day  from  the  '  'Vicksburg  Even- 
ing Citizen"  of  the  23d,  and  up  to  that  time  it  was  esti- 
mated fifty  thousand  shells  had  been  thrown  into  the  city. 
We  lose  about  fifty  men  killed  and  wounded  every  day, 
among  whom  I  notice  the  names  of  several  valuable 
officer?.  If  we  do  succeed  in  either  whipping  Grant  or 
in  compelling  him  to  raise  the  siege,  it  will  be  a  terrible 
blow  to  the  enemy,  one  from  which  they  will  not  recover 
during  the  war,  and  will,  I  believe,  compel  them  to  make 
peace  with  us. 

The  siarns  of  the  times  are  verv  favorable.     I  read  an 


126  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

article  from  an  influential  New  York  paper — [I  am  sorry 
I  did  not  mention  in  the  letter  the  name  of  the  paper]  — 
a  few  days  ago  advocating,  in  bold  and  plain  terms, 
peace  upon  the  terms  of  recognizing  the  independence  of 
the  south,  the  division  of  the  territories,  and  the  right  of 
the  border  slave  states  to  choose  which  section  of  the  old 
Union  they  will  attach  themselves  to.  Nothing  can  now 
reanimate  the  war  spirit  in  the  north,  except  some  great 
and  decisive  success,  which  will  be  at  the  same  time  a 
severe  loss  to  us.  Such  would  be  the  capture  of  Vicks- 
burg.  But  even  with  the  loss  of  Vicksburg  no  true 
southerner  would  despair.  It  would  only  prolong  the 
war.  A  few  short  weeks  will  settle  the  question,  and 
determine  whether  the  brave  little  city,  which  has  stood 
like  a  wall  of  fire  between  the  Yankees  and  their  hopes, 
wrill  still  stand  proudly  defiant  or  be  compelled  to  yield 
to  the  foe.  I  have  strong  hopes — nay,  I  am  almost  con- 
fident— in  our  ability  to  drive  them  back.  May  God 
grant  it,  and  peace  soon  be  restored. 

This  old  letter,  written  on  the  very  day  Vicksburg  fell, 
is  of  priceless  value  to  me  now.  Even  while  it  was  being 
written  negotiations  were  going  on  for  the  surrender,  and 
the  great  and  decisive  success  to  the  federals,  with  severe 
loss  to  the  south,  was  an  accomplished  fact,  though  it 
was  several  hours  later  before  I  knew  it. 

Our  command  wTas  on  the  west  side  of  the  Big  Black 
river,  so  we  did  not  have  to  cross  in  order  to  join  in  the 
advance  of  the  army,  and  on  the  day  of  the  surrender, 
and  not  long  after  I  had  finished  my  letter  and  started  it 
on  its  way  homeward,  we  were  ordered  to  move.  I  re- 
member that  we  marched  till  after  dark,  some  ten  or 
twelve  miles  from  our  camp,  and  there  bivouacked,  not 
far  from  the  banks  of  the  river.  My  recollection  is  that 
pontoons  were  laid,  and  the  infantry  and  artillery  were 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  1 27 

to  begin  crossing  at  daylight  the  next  morning,  and  we 
were  to  be  in  advance  and  first  meet  the  enemy.  But  it 
was  not  to  be. 

"Alas  for  the  Southron  the  struggle  was  o'er, 
Our  banners  were  waiving  o'er  Vicksburg  no  more; 
The  stripes  of  the  Yankees  were  floating  instead, 
And  the  hearts  of  Mississippians  were  broken  and  dead." 

It  is  thirty-seven  years  since  this  humiliating  and  dis- 
astrous surrender,  but  I  cannot  recall  it  now  without 
anger  and  indignation  at  the  incompetent  man  who  had 
its  destiny  in  his  hands.  Some  thought  he  was  a  traitor 
then;  God  forgive  him  if  he  was;  they  may  have  done 
him  wrong,  for  only  God  can  read  the  hearts  of  men. 
But  he  could  not  more  surely  have  done  a  greater  wrong 
to  his  cause  if  he  had  been.  Surrendering  on  the  4th  day 
of  July,  the  day  of  all  others  which  would  most  fire  the 
northern  heart,  and  nerve  it  to  new  efforts  to  conquer  the 
confederacy,  when  he  knew  that  a  few  hours  would  bring 
an  attack  from  General  Johnston,  which  would  enable 
him,  if  he  were  a  brave  man,  to  cut  his  way  through  and 
save  his  arm}7,  if  they  could  not  save  the  place.  But  it  sick- 
ens me  to  think  of  it;  never  but  once  again  before  the 
final  surrender  did  I  feel  such  gloom  and  so  much  despair. 
But  of  that  time  in  its  place.  Just  before  the  close  of  the 
war  at  Columbus,  Mississippi,  I  heard  Mr.  Davis  freely 
criticised  by  a  member  of  the  confederate  congress,  in  an 
open  speech,  for  the  appointment  of  General  Pemberton 
among  other  things,  and  abl)*  defended  by  an  eminent 
lawyer  who  was  present.  In  its  proper  place  I  will  refer 
to  this  again,  and  give  the  names  of  these  gentlemen. 

The  fall  of  Vicksburg,  and  of  Port  Hudson  a  little  later, 
cut  the  confederacy  in  two,  and  henceforth  intercourse 
between  the  two  parts  could  only  be  had  by  stealth.  The 
following  quotation  from  General  Dick  Taylor's  book,  the 


128  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

only  one  about  the  war  which  I  have  read  with  pleasure, 
"Destruction  and  Reconstruction,"  will  give  an  idea  of 
the  way  communication  between  the  two  sections  of  the 
confederacy  was  kept  up.  He  had  been  promoted  to 
lieutenant-general,  and  ordered  to  command  the  Depart- 
ment of  Mississippi,  early  in  1864,  and  was  on  his  way  to 
his  new  command  from  the  town  of  Natchitoches  in 
Louisiana: 

' '  A  grand  old  oak  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Black  river, 
the  lower  Washita,  protected  my  couch,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing, with  two  guides,  the  faithful  Tom  following,  I 
threaded  my  way  through  swamp  and  jungle  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi, which  was  reached  at  sunset.  A  light  canoe  was 
concealed  some  distance  from  the  river  bank,  and  after 
the  short  twilight  faded  into  night,  this  was  borne  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  guides  and  launched.  One  of  the  guides 
embarked  to  paddle,  and  Tom  and  I  followed,  each  lead- 
ing a  horse.  A  gunboat  was  lying  in  the  river  a  short 
distance  below,  and  even  the  horses  seemed  to  understand 
the  importance  of  silence,  swimming  quietly  alongside  of 
our  frail  craft.  The  eastern  shore  reached,  we  stopped 
for  a  time  to  rub  and  rest  the  cattle,  exhausted  by  long 
continued  exertion  in  the  water,  then  pushed  on  to  Wood- 
ville,  some  five  and  twenty  miles  east. ' '  With  such  diffi- 
culties as  this  described  by  General  Taylor,  and  his  is  no 
fancy  sketch  to  my  certain  knowledge,  no  wonder  that 
the  fall  of  Vicksburg  discouraged  our  men  for  a  time — 
discouraged,  but  did  not  daunt  them — for  nearly  two  years 
more  of  bloody  war,  with  untold  hardships,  was  yet  to 
come  before  the  south  was  conquered.  Before  daylight 
of  the  morning  of  the  fifth  of  July  a  courier  reached  us 
with  news  of  the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  and  with  orders  to 
cross  the  Big  Black  river.  We  crossed  that  da}',  and  our 
wagon  trains  were  sent  towards  Jackson,  while  the  com- 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  I2Q 

mand  proceeded  to  the  railroad,  which  we  struck  some- 
where between  Edwards  and  Bovina. 

This  we  destroyed  as  much  as  we  could,  burning  cross- 
ties  and  heating  the  rails,  twisted  them  into  every  imagin- 
able shape. 

This  we  continued  to  do,  falling  back  towards  Jackson 
all  the  time,  for  the  enemy  lost  no  time  in  following  up 
their  victory,  and  marched  straight  on  to  Jackson,  of 
which  place  they  commenced  the  investment  on  the 
ninth.  The  city  was  well  protected  with  intrenchments, 
defended  by  the  army  which  General  Johnston  had 
gathered  for  the  relief  of  Vicksburg,  but  we  were  or- 
dered through,  and  crossed  Pearl  river,  encamping  in 
the  bottom  on  the  other  side.  There  we  remained  till 
the  city  was  evacuated  on  the  night  of  the  sixteenth, 
when  we  also  fell  back  to  take  a  position  on  the  railroad 
between  Jackson  and  Brandon. 

While  we  were  in  the  Pearl  river  bottom,  General 
Pemberton  rode  through  the  camp  on  his  way  to  a  point 
where  he  could  take  the  railroad  for  Richmond.  I  saw 
him  plainly,  Colonel  Pinson  being  with  me  at  the  time, 
and  we  both  pitied  the  man  who  had  so  signally  failed 
when  in  high  command.  He  looked  sorrowful.  He 
went  to  Richmond,  where  he  resigned  his  commission  as 
lieutenant-general,  and  retained  his  regular  rank  as 
lieutenant-colonel  of  artillery.  I  never  heard  of  him 
again  during  the  war,  but  after  the  war  saw  a  notice  of 
his  death  in  a  paper,  and  he  died,  I  believe,  poor  and  ob- 
scure, which  goes  far  to  relieve  him  of  the  suspicion  of 
treason,  which  many  entertained. 

From  the  ninth  to  the  sixteenth  inclusive,  Jackson  was 
besieged,  and  all  day  long  and  every  day,  there  was  con- 
tinual firing  of  small  arms  as  well  as  cannonading,  but  we 
took  no  part  in  the  fighting,  being  held  in  reserve  to  cover 
9 


I30  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

the  retreat  of  the  army,  for  there  was  no  purpose  to  try 
and  hold  Jackson. 

I  do  not  think  many  assaults  were  ever  made  on  any 
part  of  the  works  with  any  serious  intent  to  carry  them 
by  the  enemy,  who  were  far  too  wary  to  risk  this  with 
so  great  a  soldier  as  General  Johnston  in  command,  and 
our  loss,  I  think,  was  small,  but  all  assaults  made  were 
repulsed,  the  most  serious  being  on  the  twelfth  of  July. 

Almost  every  day  either  Colonel  Pinson  or  myself 
would  ride  into  the  cit}r  and  observe  the  course  and  pro- 
gress of  the  siege,  and  once  I  remember  as  I  sat  on  my 
horse  in  front  of  the  Capitol,  a  shell  exploded  immedi- 
ately over  my  head.  It  is  surprising  what  little  damage 
was  done  to  the  city  or  Capitol.  Nearly  all  the  citizens 
had  refugeed  to  the  surrounding  country  till  the  siege 
was  over,  and  many  of  these  were  in  our  camp  every 
day. 

Once  I  remember  that  distinguished  jurist,  Judge 
Sharkey,  afterwards  provisional  governor  of  the  state  by 
appointment  of  President  Johnson,  paid  us  a  visit,  which 
was  appreciated,  for  no  man  in  the  state  was  more 
honored.  He  was  a  great  lawyer  and  a  Whig,  but  true 
to  his  state. 

The  army,  infantry  and  artillery,  were  moved  on  to 
Meridian,  while  our  brigade  was  left  near  Brandon,  and 
here  we  remained  till  the  enemy  some  weeks  later  of 
their  own  accord  left  Jackson,  their  troops  being  mostly 
sent  to  more  important  places,  though  a  strong  force  was 
left  in  Vicksburg.  I  don't  know,  or  at  least  do  not  now 
recall,  where  General  Jackson  with  the  other  brigade  was 
at  this  time. 

While  at  this  camp  near  Brandon,  General  Cosby  took 
a  notion  to  divide  his  four  regiments  into  two  brigades, 
giving  Colonel  Pinson  the  command  of  one,  and  thus 
giving  me  the  command  of  my  own  regiment. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  I3I 

We  were  inactive  most  of  the  time,  but  I  was  nearest 
the  enemy,  and  one  day  heard  of  a  raid  which  came  boldly 
within  about  three  miles  of  camp.  My  scouts  informed 
me  there  was  only  one  company  of  infantry  (I  suppose 
cavalry  would  not  or  could  not  cross  the  Pearl  river) ,  with 
three  or  four  wagons.  They  were  evidently  on  a  maraud- 
ing exposition,  and  I  ordered  Captain  Herrin  to  take  his 
squadron  and  if  possible  intercept  them.  He  was  gone 
about  four  hours  when  he  returned  with  about  sixty 
prisoners  and  four  wagons  filled  with  every  conceivable 
kind  of  plunder.  They  made  a  fight,  but  were  too  much 
taken  by  surprise  to  do  much,  and  he  lost  no  men,  but 
they  had  one  poor  fellow  killed,  and  learning  this,  I  sent 
out  next  day  and  had  him  burried  where  he  fell,  on  the 
side  of  the  road,  and  there  I  expect  his  remains  lie  till 
this  day. 

While  at  this  camp  I  witnessed  one  day  a  death  by 
lightning.  A  mess  from  Captain  Turner's  Pontotoc  com- 
pany had  its  quarters  under  a  spreading  oak  just  in  front 
of  the  abandoned  dwelling  in  which  I  had  my  quarters, 
when  a  thunder  storm  came  up  and  a  bolt  struck  the  tree. 
There  were  at  the  time  three  or  four  men  under  the  tree, 
all  were  shocked,  but  one  young  High,  a  brave  soldier,  was 
killed.  He  and  his  companions  were  at  once  brought  to 
the  house  where  the  surgeon  also  was,  but  life  was  ex- 
tinct. At  the  time,  we  were  operating  the  railroad  from 
Brandon  east,  and  I  sent  his  remains  home  with  a  detail 
from  his  company,  and  he  had  a  Christian's  burial,  sur- 
rounded by  his  family.  His  father  and  mother  were  liv- 
ing and  I  received  a  warm  letter  of  thanks  from  them. 
In  this,  he  and  they  were  happier  than  most  of  the  brave 
soldiers  who  lost  their  lives  during  the  war.  He  was  a 
private  soldier,  but  like  nearly  all  the  men  in  our  army, 
a  young  gentleman  of  good  family,    and   I  am  glad  I 


132  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

remember  his  name,  and  it  ma}-  be  there  are  yet  living 
those  who  will  be  glad  to  see  it  here. 

I  find  two  letters  written  home  from  this  camp,  one  on 
the  fourth  and  the  other  on  the  ninth  of  August,  and  I 
quote  from  the  first,  to  show  what  the  feelings  and  hopes 
of  our  men  then  were,  as  well  as  the  fixed  determination 
which  prevailed  in  the  army. 

Near  Brandon,  August  4th  t  i86j. 
.  .  "The  people  from  all  parts  of  Mississippi  are 
fleeing  to  Alabama  and  Georgia,  and  I  don't  know  what 
is  to  become  of  them  all  or  how  they  are  to  live.  I  am 
convinced  some  effort  ought  to  be  made  to  save  some 
negro  property  by  sending  it  off,  }-et  it  is  best  for  families 
in  the  present  state  of  affairs  to  remain  at  home,  as  they 
will  lose  less,  besides  saving  themselves  the  annoyance 
and  trouble  they  must  inevitably  meet  in  attempting  to 
run  off.  Besides,  the  very  place  they  run  to  for  safety 
may  in  the  end  prove  unsafe.  I  have  no  doubt,  Mobile 
will  soon  be  invested,  and  it  may  probably  fall,  if  the  war 
last  long.  So  may  every  stronghold  we  have  got,  still  we 
will  not  be  conquered,  and  never  will  we  be  while  our 
army  remains  in  the  field,  and  our  people  are  unwhipped. 
"Never  despair,  we  will  yet  have  peace  on  terms  honor- 
able to  the  south.  The  news  from  Europe  is  by  no 
means  unfavorable.  I  am  satisfied  that  Mr.  Yancey's 
views  were  correct,  when,  on  his  return  from  Europe, 
soon  after  the  war  commenced,  he  said:  'England  and 
France  would  interfere  whenever  they  thought  there  was 
danger  of  our  being  conquered.'  Although  there  never 
was  danger  of  that,  still  there  is  danger  now  that  the 
war  may  last  a  long  while  unless  they  interfere,  and  this 
they  will  do  before  the  winter  is  over.  Louis  Napoleon 
has  brought  his  war  with  Mexico  to  a  close,  and,  as  cer- 


IN    PEAQE    AND    WAR.  1 33 

tain  as  the  sun  rises  and  sets,  he  will  recognize  our  inde- 
pendence, whether  any  other  nation  joins  him  or  not. 

"I  believe  a  great  battle  will  be  fought  in  Virginia  be- 
fore long,  and  it  will  be  important  in  its  results,  for  just 
now  the  north  is  bouyed  up  by  the  hope  that,  if  Lee's 
noble  army  could  be  whipped,  the  war  would  substantially 
be  closed.  .  .  .  But,  even  should  Lee  be  defeated  and 
Richmond  be  taken,  there  are  tens  of  thousands  of  south- 
ern men  who  never  will  lay  down  their  arms  or  give  up 
the  contest  until  they  have  wrested  victory  from  their 
enemy,  and  among  that  number,  if  life  and  health  be 
spared,  I  know  my  wife,  while  she  may  mourn  the  ne- 
cessity, will  yet  be  proud  to  number  me;  for  this  is  a 
struggle  for  all  we  hold  most  dear  on  earth,  and  eternal 
shame  and  dishonor  await  those  who  refuse  to  do  all  they 
can  in  defense  of  their  country  and  liberty.     .     .     . " 

From  this  letter  it  will  be  seen  I  was  pretty  sanguine 
at  that  time,  even  without  foreign  recognition,  the  hopes 
of  which  proved  to  be  like  the  "stuff  that  dreams  are 
made  of."  I  quote  a  single  sentence  from  my  letter 
of  the  9th:  ".  .  .  I  am  interrupted  by  an  order  to 
march  in  the  morning  at  six  o'clock.  The  whole  brigade 
moves,  and  we  go  towards  Jackson,  and  I  presume  in- 
tend to  wake  the  Yankees  up  somewhere.     .     .     ." 

The  enemy  had  retired  from  Jackson,  and  we  con- 
tinued our  march  through  the  country,  as  far  as  Fayette, 
but  saw  no  enemy  on  the  way,  though  the  enemy  were 
known  to  occupy  Xatchez  in  considerable  force. 

Camping  one  night  within  three  miles  of  Fayette,  near 
which  had  been  my  old  home,  I  solicited  and  obtained 
permission  to  go  on  that  night,  as  I  wanted  to  see  Gen- 
eral Clark,  who  was  there,  having  been  but  a  short  time 
before  exchanged.  I  found  him  still  unable  to  walk, 
even  on  crutches,  but  able  to  sit  up,  and  still  uncon- 
quered.     It  was  understood  that,  being  unable  to  take 


134  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

the  field  again,  he  was  willing  to  accept  the  office  of  gov- 
ernor, and  there  was  little  doubt  he  would  be  elected.  I 
met,  of  course,  many  old  friends,  for  it  had  only  been 
about  eight  years  since  I  had  moved  from  the  county, 
but  most  of  those  of  my  age  or  j-ounger  were  in  the 
army.  Among  others  that  I  met  was  "Count  Wallace,  ' 
as  he  was  called,  a  free  negro  barber,  a  fine  player  on  the 
violin  of  the  music  of  that  day,  and  to  whose  music  I 
had  danced  the  night  through  many  a  time.  The 
'count'  had  been  in  Port  Hudson,  when  that  place  was 
taken,  as  a  servant  to  some  officer,  and  amused  me  very 
much  with  his  description  of  the  efforts  made  by  the  fed- 
erals to  induce  him  to  stay  with  them  when  the  command 
was  paroled.  Being  a  negro  as  black  as  the  ace  of 
spades,  they  supposed  he  would  be  glad  to  do  it,  but  he 
told  them  he  was  a  free  man,  and  a  southern  man,  and 
insisted  on  having  a  parole,  which  at  last  they  gave  him, 
and  which  he  showed  with  great  pride. 

We  did  not  stay  long  in  Fayette,  but  moved  east  from 
that  place,  giving  me  a  chance  to  see  my  uncle  and 
former  guardian,  Prosper  K.  Montgomery,  near  whose 
house  our  route  led.  His  eldest  son,  Jefferson,  had  been 
killed  the  year  before,  early  in  the  year,  in  an  affair  near 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  he  had  several  other  sons 
in  the  army,  all  of  whom,  I  believe,  lived  through  the 
war. 

After  going  some  distance  east,  we  again  turned  north, 
and  struck  the  railroad  near  Terry,  and  then  again  moved 
north  to  beyond  Jackson,  where  we  went  into  camp  for 
some  days.  The  whole  object  of  our  scout,  I  suppose, 
was  to  encourage  the  people,  naturally  discouraged  at 
the  loss  of  Vicksburg,  for  we  saw  no  enemy  on  the  en- 
tire route. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  135 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Camp  near  Lexington — Colonel  Ross'  Texas  regiment — Camp  near 
Richland — General  Reuben  Davis,  candidate  for  governor — 
Anecdote — New  issue  and  old  issue,  Confederate  money — As- 
sault on  sutler's  tent — Letter  to  my  wife — Presentation  of  flag 
— Ross'  Texas  and  First  Mississippi  regiments  move  to  Ten- 
nessee valley — General  Sherman  advancing  through  valley  to 
Chattanooga — Fights  in  the  valley — Adjutant  Beasly  killed — 
Ordered  back  to  Mississippi — General  Stephen  D.  Lee  in  com- 
mand— Night  march  after  Federals,  skirmish — Battle  at  Wolfe 
river,  near  Moscow — Severe  loss  in  regiment  and  by  Federals. 

We  moved  on  to  Canton,  and  from  there  to  Lexington, 
Mississippi,  at  or  near  which  place  the  whole  division  for 
a  time  was  encamped.  While  here  a  grand  review  of  the 
division  was  had,  and  certainly  it  was  a  splendid  body  of 
soldiers  and  made  a  fine  appearance.  A  short  time  be- 
fore I  had  sent  the  faithful  Jake  Jones  home  with  letters, 
the  only  way  I  frequently  had  of  communicating  with 
my  family.  I  usually  had  two  or  three  of  my  servants 
with  me  in  camp,  but  he  was  the  only  one  I  could  trust 
to  make  the  trip  safely  and  back.  This  time  when  he 
returned  my  wife  sent  with  him  my  eldest  son,  a  boy 
about  thirteen  years  old,  and  he  had  a  chance  to  witness 
this  review,  something  few  boys  in  the  Delta  ever  saw. 
It  was  only  about  three  days'  ride  home,  and  I  kept  him 
with  me  several  weeks,  and  only  sent  him  home  when  I 
thought  we  were  about  to  be  ordered  on  a  distant  march. 

All  these  things  helped  to  reanimate  the  spirits  of  the 
people,  for  however  much  they  were  discouraged,  they 
could  not  fail  to  see  that  the  soldiers  were  still  undis- 
mayed, so  that  our  time  was  not  really  lost.     Meantime 


136  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   M1SSI5SIPPIAN, 

men  and  horses  were  being  recruited,  if  not  in  numbers 
at  least  in  strength,  for  the  severe  labors  of  the  fall  and 
winter  which  were  before  us. 

Winter  quarters  were  unknown  to  the  cavalry  since 
the  first  winter  of  the  war,  even  tents  had  long  since  be- 
come only  a  memory;  but  no  matter  how  severe  the 
weather,  the  men  had  learned  to  improvise  shelter,  when 
a  halt  would  be  made,  that  protected  them  well. 

After  this  there  was  a  period  of  inactivity  on  the  part 
of  General  Jackson's  division,  and  the  brigades  and  regi- 
ments were  somewhat  scattered,  for  convenience  of  sub- 
sistence for  both  men  and  horses,  for  we  had  to  live  en- 
tirely off  the  country;  but  all  stationed  where  the  enemy 
could  best  be  watched,  and  all  always  in  easy  reach  of 
division  headquarters,  so  that  the  command  could  be  got 
together  at  any  time  without  delay.  This  lasted  in  the 
part  of  the  command  to  which  I  was  then  attached,  some 
five  or  six  weeks,  during  which  time  we  had  little  to  do 
except  to  keep  out  pickets  and  send  out  now  and  then 
small  scouting  parties  to  see  what  the  enemy  were  doing. 

The  enemy  seemed  inclined  to  be  quiet  also  in  Missis- 
sippi, but  they  held  the  river,  and  also  the  Yazoo  river, 
and  we  were  on  the  lookout  for  raids  all  the  time,  and 
this  kept  us  from  getting  too  dull  in  camp.  Some  time 
in  September,  1863,  Colonel  Pinson's  and  Colonel  Ross' 
Texas  regiments  were  temporarily  brigaded  together, 
and  were  camped  near  Richland,  in  Holmes  county, 
picketing  towards  Yazoo  City  and  other  points  on  the 
Yazoo  river.  Colonel  Ross  was  in  command  as  senior 
colonel,  and  we  remained  together  several  months,  and 
our  regiment  became  very  fond  of  him  and  rejoiced  at 
his  promotion  later  to  brigadier  general,  and  those  who 
survived  the  war  were  specially  pleased  at  the  high  honor 
paid  him  by  his  state  when  it  elected  him  governor. 

While  at  this  camp  the  monotony  was  broken  one  day 


IN   PEACE   AND    WAR.  137 

in  October  by  a  visit  from  General  Reuben  Davis,  who 
was  a  candidate  for  governor,  and  who  sought  the  camp 
to  advocate  his  claims  before  our  regiment.  By  an  act  of 
the  legislature,  Mississippi  soldiers  in  the  state  were  per- 
mitted to  vote  for  governor,  and  I  believe  all  state 
officers.  General  Davis  had  his  title  from  having  been 
for  a  time  commander  of  the  state  troops,  in  1S61  and 
1862.  He  was  a  distinguished  lawyer,  and  especially  as 
a  criminal  lawyer,  and  was  the  colonel  of  the  Second  Mis- 
sissippi regiment  for  a  few  months  during  the  Mexican 
war,  but  resigned,  and  then  Captain  Clark  of  the  regiment 
was  elected  its  colonel,  and  was  now,  with  General  A.  M. 
West,  opposing  him  for  the  office.  General  Clark  could  not 
make  a  canvass,  even  if  he  had  wished,  and  I  never  heard 
of  General  West  doing  so,  at  least  among  the  soldiers. 

The  regiment  was  unmistakably  for  General  Clark, 
but  it  was  assembled  and  General  Davis  made  it  a 
speech,  which  was  courteously  listened  to.  I  saw  Gen- 
eral Davis  for  the  last  time  in  the  winter  of  1S96  in 
Jackson,  where  he  was  personally  canvassing  for  sub- 
scribers to  a  second  volume  of  his  reminiscences.  The 
first  had  been  published  and  is  very  interesting,  and  I 
had  and  have  it,  and  willingly  subscribed  for  the  second. 
The  general  was  as  straight  as  an  arrow  and  showed  few 
signs  of  age,  and  I  said  to  him  one  day,  "General,  I 
have  read  your  book  and  I  see  you  do  not  mention  when 
you  were  born.  I  have  known  you  a  long  time  and 
known  of  you  longer  and  I  think  I  know  about  your 
age,  but  would  be  glad  to  know  if  you  don't  mind 
telling."  His  reply  was,  "Montgomery,  it  does  me  no 
good  to  tell  my  age,  but  I  will  tell  you.  I  am  now  in 
my  eighty-third  year."  A  few  months  later  in  Hunts- 
ville,  Alabama,  he  fell  suddenly  dead  in  the  hotel  at 
which  he  way  staying. 

While  at   this  camp,  near  Richland,  an  amusing   in- 


133  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPl'IAN, 

cident  occurred  one  night.  Our  regimental  sutler,  whose 
name  was  Reuff  (he  had  been  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Lafayette  county  company  the  first  year  of  the  war,  but 
was  much  better  suited  to  the  place  he  now  held),  had 
come  into  camp  with,  for  a  sutler  to  a  southern  regi- 
ment, a  pretty  good  supply  of  sundries.  He  had  been 
absent  a  long  time  and  the  boys  were  at  first  all  glad  to 
see  him  and  eager  to  buy.  But  it  so  happened  that  not 
long  before  the  confederate  congress  had  authorized  a 
new  issue  of  money,  and  there  was  very  little,  if  any,  of 
it  in  camp,  as  we  had  not  been  paid  off  in  some  time. 
"Why  Reuff  took  a  notion  it  was  any  better  than  the  old 
issue  I  don't  know,  but  that  was  his  idea,  and  he  re- 
fused to  sell  except  for  new  issue. 

This  incensed  the  men  very  much,  and  they  made 
many  threats  about  it.  A  few  nights  after  he  came  he 
went  out  of  camp  into  the  country  and  left  in  charge  of 
his  tent  a  small  boy  he  had  with  him.  I  happened  to  sit 
up  late  that  night,  having  some  of  the  officers  with  me, 
and  my  fire  was  not  far  from  Reuff' s  tent.  Looking 
towards  it  I  saw  a  group  of  men  approaching  it,  and 
knowing  the  feeling  there  was  in  the  camp  I  suspected 
mischief,  and  sprang  to  my  feet  and  started  to  it.  All 
at  once  I  heard  one  of  the  men  give  the  order  to  charge, 
and  a  rush  was  made  for  the  tent,  and  I  also  started  at 
a  run,  calling  "halt"  as  I  ran.  I  was  nearer  the  tent  and 
got  to  it  first,  but  only  just  in  time.  The  boys  man- 
fully admitted  they  intended  to  destroy  it  because  Reuff 
would  not  take  their  money,  but  they  dispersed  at  my 
command  and  did  not  try  any  further  to  molest  the  tent. 
Reuff  returned  to  camp  next  morning,  and  when  he 
found  what  a  narrow  escape  he  had  made  he  became  a 
wiser  man.  He  took  any  money  that  was  offered,  and 
soon  sold  out,  and  had  all  the  money  in  camp. 

While  at  this  camp,  near  Richland,  the  citizens  got  us 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


139 


up  a  barbecue,  and  we  had  a  review  of  the  two  regiments 
in  their  honor.  They  also  presented  the  1st  Mississippi 
with  a  new  battle  flag.  I  quote  from  a  letter  to  my  wife 
at  this  place  describing  the  flag: 

Camp  near  Richland,  September  ij,  1863. 
.  The  ladies  at  Richland,  a  little  village  near 
where  we  are  camped,  sent  us  a  very  nice  battle  flag 
yesterday.  It  is  the  first  flag  we  have  ever  had  (regi- 
mental). It  is  a  blue  flag  with  a  red  cross  extending 
clear  across  the  flag  from  the  four  corners,  with  white 
stars  in  the  cross,  and  a  yellow  border  all  round  it.  It 
makes  a  very  pretty  appearance. 

It  was  not  long  before  it  was  to  wave  in  the  face  of 
the  enemy,  and  before  the  year  closed  I  saw  two  brave 
boys  lose  their  lives  while  holding  it  aloft.  It  was  our 
battle  flag  till  the  last  battle  we  fought,  at  Selma, 
Alabama,  when  disaster  overtook  us,  and  almost  the  en- 
tire regiment  was  killed,  wounded  and  captured. 

Some  time  in  the  last  days  of  October  our  quiet  was 
broken  by  an  order  to  Colonel  Ross  to  move  with  his 
regiment  and  Colonel  Pinson's  to  the  Tennessee  Valley, 
and  from  that  time  to  the  close  of  the  war  there  was 
not  much  rest  to  the  cavalry  either  winter  or  summer. 

It  was  known  that  General  Sherman  was  preparing  to 
march  from  Corinth  to  reinforce  General  Grant  at  Chat- 
tanooga, and  we  were  ordered  to  the  valley  to  hinder  and 
delay  his  march.  We  moved  across  the  country  to  Pon- 
totoc, and  reached  that  place  or  its  vicinity  on  or  about 
the  day  of  the  election,  and  the  regiment  voted  almost, 
though  not  quite,  unananimously  for  General  Clark  for 
governor,  and  returns  were  duly  made  and  certified  by 
the  officers  who  held  it,  and  no  doubt  they  were  duly 
counted,  for  this  was  before  the  days  of  trickery  and  false 


I40  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    M1SSISSIPPIAN, 

counting  were  ever  charged.  We  left  our  wagon  trains 
at  Pontotoc,  and  moved,  with  a  few  days'  cooked  rations, 
by  the  nearest  route  to  the  Tennessee  valley  and  struck 
the  railroad  (then  Memphis  and  Charleston),  first  near 
Prides'  station,  about  ten  miles  west  of  Tuscumbia.  I  re- 
member the  place,  and  that  we  camped  several  days  on 
Mr.  Prides'  place,  because  after  the  war  he  had  a  son  who 
owned  a  place  near  where  I  now  live,  and  because  he  was 
an  uncle  of  our  old  adjutant,  L.  M.  Sykes. 

General  Sherman's  advance  had  not  reached  the  point 
we  were  at  as  yet,  but  our  scouts  soon  located  him  not 
many  miles  away  swiftly  advancing.  There  is  or  was, 
not  far  from  Mr.  Prides'  place,  and  about  six  miles  west 
of  Tuscumbia,  a  country  church,  situated  on  a  high  hill 
which  was  rocky  and  wooded.  Along  the  base  of  the  hill 
on  the  north  ran  the  railroad,  and  a  mile  in  rear  of  it, 
towards  Tuscumbia,  a  creek.  Colonel  Ross  determined 
to  make  his  first  stand  at  this  church,  and  here,  late  one 
evening,  we  first  came  into  contact  with  the  enemy.  Our 
pickets  were  stationed  on  a  hill  about  a  mile  away,  but 
the  country  was  open  between  the  hill  we  were  on  and 
the  hill  the  pickets  held.  We  could  plainly  see  the  attack 
made  on  the  pickets,  a  company  or  squadron  from  Ross' 
regiment,  who  held  their  own  gallantly  till  forced  to  re- 
tire by  the  increasing  force  of  the  enemy,  which  they  did 
safely  with  the  loss  of  a  few  horses  and  a  few  men 
wounded. 

The  enemy  occupied  the  hill  they  had  left,  and  brought 
up  artillery  (we  had  none),  and  soon  made  the  hill  we 
were  on  lively  with  shells.  We  had  no  casualties,  but 
many  narrow  escapes.  I  remember,  as  I  was  lying  on 
the  side  of  the  hill  and  looking  at  the  enemy,  a  brge 
piece  of  shell  buried  itself  in  the  ground  within  an  inch  of 
my  thigh,  but  a  miss  was  "  as  good  as  a  mile." 

It  was  late  at  night,  and  the  enemy  did  not  advance 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


141 


that  night,  and  after  dark  Colonel  Ross  withdrew  to  the 
east  bank  of  the  creek  I  have  spoken  of.  We  there  biv- 
ouacked for  the  night,  and  made  out  as  best  we  could.  It 
was  a  good  line  of  defense  if  we  had  been  strong  enough, 
but  Ross  was  determined  to  contest  every  foot  of  the 
ground,  and  he  was  well  seconded  by  his  command. 

Our  pickets  occupied  our  old  position  on  the  hill,  and 
were  unmolested  during  the  night.  But  as  soon  as  it  was 
day  a  sharp  firing  announced  the  advance  of  the  enemy, 
but  the  picket  was  a  strong  one,  and  did  not  easily  give 
way.  The  sun  was  well  up  before  they  withdrew,  and 
they  did  it  in  good  order  and  without  loss,  having  had  a 
strong  position  and  being  well  protected.  A  part  of  the 
First  Mississippi  was  placed  on  a  hill  in  rear  of  our  main 
line,  and  I  was  directed  to  take  command  of  this  and  cover 
the  retreat  of  the  command  when  forced  to  retire,  as  it 
was  certain  to  be  obliged  to  do.  The  command  at  the 
ford  in  the  creek  bottom  was  somewhat  sheltered  by  a 
fringe  of  trees  and  bushes  along  the  creek,  and  could  not 
see  or  be  seen  by  the  enemy  till  they  had  advanced  into  the 
bottom  on  the  other  side,  but  from  the  position  I  occupied 
on  a  hill  I  could  see  them  as  they  came  down  the  hill  on 
the  other  side,  and  they  advanced  in  considerable  force  of 
infantry.  Meantime  they  also  could  see  the  line  I  held, 
and  planted  a  battery  on  a  hill  a  mile  away  and  began  to 
shell  myT  line. 

After  one  or  two  rounds  they  got  the  exact  range,  and 
shells  burst  all  round  us,  but  strange  to  say-,  without 
doing  any  damage.  At  the  same  time  the  infantry  had 
got  within  range  of  our  force  at  the  creek,  and  soon  en- 
gaged it,  and  for  a  time  the  firing  wTas  fast  and  furious. 
Ross  and  Pinson  held  the  place  as  long  as  they7  could,  but 
finally  retired,  our  loss  being  a  few  killed  and  some 
twenty-five  or  thirty  wounded.  The  killed  and  wounded 
were  all  brought  off,  the  dead  being  burried  near  Tus- 


142  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

cumbia  late  that  evening,  and  the  wounded  placed  in  an 
improvised  hospital  at  that  place.  Among  the  wounded 
was  our  gallant  Adjutant  William  Beasley,  but  he,  Colo- 
nel Pinson  sent  through  the  country  to  his  home  near 
Macon,  a  doctor  going  with  him,  and  it  was  supposed  he 
could  stand  the  trip.  But  his  wound  was  mortal  and 
some  days  after  he  got  home  he  died.  He  was  a  mere 
boy  not  yet  twenty-one,  as  modest  as  a  maiden,  but  as 
fearless  as  the  bravest  man  in  the  army,  and  his  death 
was  long  mourned  by  his  comrades. 

As  Colonel  Ross  fell  back,  I  advanced,  but  the  enemy 
had  now  crossed  the  creek  and  I  was  compelled  to  retire, 
after  a  short  skirmish  without  loss.  What  the  enemies 
loss  in  this  affair  was  I  do  not  know,  but  it  must  have 
been  at  least  equal  to  ours,  and  I  think  greater.  We  fell 
slowly  back  to  Tuscumbia  and  bivouacked  that  night 
near  the  biggest  spring  I  ever  saw,  big  enough  to  water 
almost  all  the  horses  of  a  regiment  at  one  time.  We  had 
no  other  severe  skirmish,  but  fell  slowly  back,  sometimes 
in  front  of  Sherman  and  sometimes  on  his  flank,  until  we 
had  reached  to  near  Decatur,  where  he  crossed  the  river 
and  continued  his  march  on  the  other  side. 

As  there  was  nothing  more  to  do  in  the  valley  we  were 
recalled  to  Mississippi,  and  marching  across  the  mountain 
we  reached  Pontotoc  some  time  in  the  last  days  of  No- 
vember. We  found  our  wagon  trains  at  Pontotoc  and  it 
was  a  great  relief  to  the  whole  command,  for  we  had  been 
for  weeks  without  regular  rations,  and  I  hardly  see  how 
we  subsisted,  but  give  the  cavalry  forage  for  the  horses 
and  the  men  would  find  subsistence  somehow.  For  my- 
self, I  chiefly  felt  while  we  were  gone,  the  loss  of  my 
coffee,  for  the  small  supply  I  took  with  me  was  soon  ex- 
hausted, and  the  first  thing  I  did  at  night  was  to  make  a 
large  pot  full  and  invited  a  few  friends  to  help  me  drink 
it.     If  there  is  such  a  thing  as  getting  tipsy  on  coffee,  I 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


143 


got  tipsy  that  night,  for  after  drinking  it  I  could  not 
sleep  a  wink  all  night.  We  remained  in  Pontotoc  several 
days  and  I  had  many  courtesies  shown  me,  especially  I 
remember  by  Mr.  R.  L,.  Coffin,  then  a  very  young  man 
attached  to  our  quartermaster's  department,  whose  home 
was  there.  He  is  now  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of 
that  growing  and  progressive  city,  Memphis.  This  was 
also  the  home  of  Colonel  Pinson,  and  of  the  lovely  lady 
who  a  few  months  later  became  his  bride,  so  we  did  not 
see  much  of  the  colonel  while  we  were  there. 

In  a  few  days  we  were  ordered  to  move,  and  went  north 
to  New  Albany,  and  there  found  General  Stephen  D.  Lee 
in  command,  with  several  regiments  beside  ours  and  Col- 
onel Ross' .  From  there  we  went  on  to  Ripley,  and  near 
that  place  one  dark  and  stormy  night,  on  the  first  or 
second  day  of  December,  we  were  roused  from  such  shel- 
ter as  we  had  been  able  to  get,  and  ordered  out  to  meet  a 
raid  advancing  from  Pocahontas.  Colonel  Ross'  regiment, 
the  First  Mississippi,  and  Colonel  Slemmons'  Arkansas 
regiment  were  ordered  to  go.  I  will  never  forget  that 
night  if  I  were  to  live  to  be  a  hundred  years  old.  Colonel 
Ross  was  sick,  Colonel  Pinson  had  not  yet  caught  up,  and 
Colonel  Slemmons  was  the  ranking  officer  and  took  com- 
mand. We  had  not  gone  two  miles  when  Slemmons  sent 
me  word  that  he  was  taken  sick,  and  had  stopped  at  a 
convenient  house  on  the  road,  and  as  the  officer  next  in 
rank,  the  command  devolved  on  me. 

A  cold,  hard  rain  was  falling,  and  it  was  as  dark  as  the 
fabled  Erebus.  Still  I  went  on,  sending  in  advance  a 
squadron  of  Colonel  Ross'  regiment,  in  command  of  a 
Captain  Mike,  as  he  was  familiarly  known  in  the  com- 
mand, and  that  is  all  I  remember  as  to  his  name.  He 
was  an  Irishman,  and  a  brave  soldier,  I  know.  We  were 
compelled  to  move  very  slowly  on  account  of  the  dark- 
ness, but  at  last  the  day  began  to  dawn,  and  soon  after 


144  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

Captain  Mike  sent  me  word  that  he  had  come  in  sight  of 
the  enemies'  camp,  and  I  halted  the  command  till  I  could 
ride  forward  and  see  it.  The  road  was  here  in  the 
woods,  and  I  found  Captain  Mike  had  halted  on  the  brow 
of  a  high  hill  which  overlooked  an  open  country  for  sev- 
eral miles,  as  well  as  I  could  see,  and  on  a  hill  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  away  the  enemy  were  plainly 
visible,  in  camp  at  a  farm-house.  We  could  not  be  seen, 
nor  do  I  think  the}*  had  any  knowledge  of  our  presence. 
Not  far  from  the  foot  of  the  hill  where  we  were,  was  an 
ugly  bayou,  with  steep,  impassable  banks,  the  only  cross- 
ing, as  far  as  I  could  see  or  learn,  being  a  bridge. 

I  ordered  up  the  command,  and  at  the  same  time  or- 
dered Captain  Mike  to  advance,  and  as  soon  as  he  crossed 
the  bridge  to  move  forward  rapidly.  But  when  he 
reached  the  bridge  he  found  it  impossible  to  cross  with- 
out repairing  it,  and  before  he  could  do  this  the  head  of 
the  column  of  the  main  body  was  in  the  valley  and  ex- 
posed us  to  the  enemy.  They  had  no  mind,  however,  to 
stay  and  wait  our  attack,  but  immediately  began  to  move 
off.  I  judged  them  to  be  about  our  force  or  larger,  but 
before  we  could  cross  the}*  had  gotten  well  under  way. 
I  followed  for  about  two  miles  and  kept  up  a  running 
fight  with  their  rear  guard,  but  could  never  bring  them 
to  a  stand.  At  daylight — as  I  am  just  reminded  by  a 
letter  from  Sergeant-major  T.  B.  Wilson  of  the  First 
Mississippi,  who  is  still  living  in  Pontotoc — it  quit  rain- 
ing and  turned  bitterly  cold,  even  freezing  the  clothes  on 
the  men.  Finding  I  could  not  bring  them  to  a  stand,  I 
turned  back,  halting  a  while  that  the  men  might  build 
fires  and  dry  their  clothes. 

When  we  got  back  to  camp  Colonel  Pinson  rejoined 
the  regiment,  and  the  whole  command,  under  General 
Lee,  moved  on  to  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  railroad. 
General  Forrest  was  with  us,  with  a  small  force,  and  the 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 45 

prime  object  of  our  move  was  to  assist  him  across  into 
Tennessee,  whither  he  was  going  to  re-arouse  the  people 
and  gather  recruits,  in  which  he  was  successful.  I  think 
we  struck  the  railroad  near  Middleton  or  Saulsbury,  or 
perhaps  between  those  places,  and  General  Forrest  hav- 
ing crossed,  General  Lee  moved  west  along  that  road, 
destroying  it  as  we  went;  and  this  not  only  for  the  pur- 
pose of  doing  damage  to  the  enemy,  but  also  to  draw  at- 
tention from  General  Forrest.  After  passing  LaGrange 
the  command  left  the  railroad,  and  passing  around  Mos- 
cow, which  was  strongly  garrisoned,  struck  the  road 
again  a  few  miles  west  of  Moscow,  and  there  tore  it  up 
again,  to  prevent  reinforcements  from  Memphis.  Gen- 
eral Lee  then  turned  and  proceeded  towards  Moscow, 
with  a  view  to  making  an  attack  on  that  place.  The 
First  Mississippi  was  in  advance,  with  General  Lee,  when 
we  reached  the  top  of  a  hill  overlooking  the  Wolfe  river 
bottom  between  us  and  Moscow.  The  country  was  open 
for  two  hundred  yards,  and  then  a  fringe  of  woods  along 
the  river,  only  perhaps  a  hundred  yards  wide. 

"Wolfe  river  was  impassable,  except  by  the  bridge,  for 
it  was  here  a  deep  stream.  When  we  reached  the  top  of 
the  hill,  we  found  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy  from  Mos- 
cow had  already  crossed  it,  and  General  Lee  at  once  or- 
dered Colonel  Pinson  to  charge  them.  With  General 
Lee  at  the  time,  I  remember,  was  the  bugler  of  Ross' 
regiment,  and  he  sounded  the  charge,  and  went  with  us. 
I  cannot  but  remember  the  brave  fellow  as  he  went,  neck 
and  neck  with  the  foremost,  down  the  hill  and  across  the 
open,  at  headlong  speed,  doing  his  best  to  sound  his  bugle 
as  we  went. 

We  were  exposed  to  a  severe  fire,  but  nothing  could 
check  our  assault.  We  drove  the  enemy  into  the  river, 
and  many  were  drowned;  some  few  escaped  across  the 
bridge;  but  never  was  victory  more  complete,  for  their 


I46  REMINISCENCES   OF  A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

loss  was  not  less  than  forty  prisoners  and  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  killed,  wounded  and  drowned,  besides  a 
large  number  of  horses  killed  and  forty  captured.  Re- 
enforcements  from  Moscow  held  the  bridge,  and  we  could 
not  cross,  but  for  a  time  a  fierce  fire  was  kept  up,  with 
the  narrow  river  between  us. 

Our  victory  was  not  gained  without  severe  loss  in  our 
regiment.  Lieutenant  Miller,  a  son  of  our  old  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Miller,  was  killed,  carrying  our  flag;  another 
brave  boy  seized  it,  and  was  killed;  but  a  third  who  took 
it  escaped,  and  bore  it  triumphantly  through  the  fight. 
We  had,  I  think,  about  thirty  killed  and  wounded  in  the 
First  Mississippi,  but  I  only  remember  the  name  of  one 
other  killed,  perhaps  because  he  was  from  my  county — 
Nat.  McCollough.  While  the  fight  was  going  on  in  the 
bottom,  the  men  had  dismounted,  and  many  sheltered 
themselves  behind  trees.  Colonel  Pinson  and  myself  were 
sitting  on  our  horses,  for  he  would  not  dismount,  and  I 
would  not  as  long  as  he  did  not,  and  near  by  was  a  boy 
from  the  colonel's  own  county  of  Pontotoc — I  knew  his 
name,  but  have  forgotten  it — who  was  snugly  ensconsed 
behind  a  tree,  not  a  very  large  one.  He  was  a  mere  boy, 
but  Pinson  observed  him,  and  ordered  him  to  get  from 
behind   the   tree.     He   did   so,  and   was   hit,    not  very 

badly;  but,  looking  at  Pinson,  he  said:  "Now,  you, 

I  hope  you  are  satisfied."  I  never  will  forget  the  ex- 
pression of  the  boy's  face,  for  he  was  mad.  Our  regi- 
ment bore  the  brunt  of  this  fight;  in  fact,  there  was  not 
time  to  bring  another  into  it. 

The  last  time  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  General 
Lee  he  was  talking  to  me  of  it,  and  said  we  were  just  a 
little  too  soon,  for,  if  the  enemy  had  gotten  a  little 
further  from  the  river,  we  could  have  gotten  them  all. 
I  hope  I  may  be  pardoned  the  vanity  of  here  recording 
another  thing  he  said  to  me,  and  that  was  that  he  never 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  147 

saw  me,  that  he  did  not  think  of  me  again  as  he  saw  me 
charging  at  the  head  of  my  regiment  that  day.  This 
was  a  few  years  ago,  when  I  met  him  in  Jackson. 

General  Lee  is  too  well  known  in  Mississippi,  and,  in- 
deed, in  all  the  south,  to  need  a  eulogy  at  my  hands.  It 
is  enough  to  say  that  he  earned  and  deserved  the  high 
rank  he  gained  in  the  army,  and  that  since  the  war  he 
has  been  a  citizen  of  the  state,  without  stain  and  without 
reproach,  and  now  has  his  reward  in  the  love  and  honor 
of  his  people. 

This  fight  ended  our  operations  on  that  raid,  and  the 
command  was  withdrawn  to  the  south,  and  I  find  by  an 
old  letter  I  have,  that  on  the  2 2d  of  December  we  were 
again  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jackson,  the  division  being 
again  together  under  General  Jackson,  and  encamped  on 
that  date  near  Raymond.  General  Cosby  had  been  re- 
lieved from  the  command  of  the  brigade,  and  Colonel 
Peter  B.  Starke,  of  the  Twentieth  Mississippi,  as  senior 
colonel,  commanded  it. 


I48  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   XV. 

Opening  of  the  year  1S64 — Gloomy  prospects — General  Sherman's 
march  through  Mississippi — Skirmish  on  Joe  Davis'  place — 
Sharp  skirmish  at  Clinton — Jackson  driven  through  place — 
Enter  Meridian — Ordered  to  reinforce  Forrest — Forrest  victo- 
rious, and  ordered  back  to  follow  Sherman — Fight  near 
Sharon — Scout  toward  Canton,  capturing  foraging  party  with 
wagons — Another  fight  on  road  from  Sharon,  with  loss — In 
camp  near  Benton — Colonel  George  Moorman — Colonel  Pinson 
goes  home  and  marries — Ordered  to  Georgia — General  Frank 
C.  Armstrong  in  command  of  brigade — Letter  from  him. 

The  year  1864  opened  with  rather  gloomy  prospects 
for  the  confederacy,  but  by  no  means  hopeless  as  viewed 
in  the  army,  for  it  was  still  full  of  spirit  and  ready  to 
try  the  chances  of  battle  whenever  and  wherever  our 
leaders  saw  fit  to  meet  the  enemy.  It  is  but  the  truth, 
however,  to  say  we  did  not  often  have  to  seek  them, 
they  were  pressing  us  hard  all  along  the  line,  from 
Virginia  to  Arkansas,  and  seemed  determined  to  try  and 
crush  the  confederate  armies  before  the  presidential 
election  to  be  held  that  fall.  But  in  this  hope  the}'  were 
disappointed.  Many  a  bloody  battle  was  yet  to  be 
fought,  and  many  a  brave  man  on  both  side  was  yet  to 
fall,  before  that  disastrous  day  to  the  confederate  armies 
should  come.  The  month  of  January,  1864,  was  bitterly 
cold  and  of  consequence  there  was  nothing  attempted  or 
done  by  our  command  not  absolutely  necessary,  but  we 
were  all  the  time  in  front  of  Jackson,  from  which  place 
to  Meridian  the  railroad  was  kept  open. 

Early  in  February  the  indefatigable  Sherman,  who 
had  returned  from  Chattanooga  after  having  reinforced 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  149 

Grant  at  that  place,  commenced  his  invasion  of  Missis- 
sippi, an  invasion  which  exposed  our  weakness  in  the 
state,  for  we  had  but  little  to  oppose  him  with  but 
Jackson's  cavalry  division.  It  is  true  General  Polk  was 
in  command  of  the  department  and  had  some  forces  at 
Meridian  (if  there  were  any  in  Jackson  I  have  forgotten 
it),  but  they  were  far  too  few  to  risk  a  battle  with 
Sherman's  splendidly  equipped  army,  superior  in  num- 
bers as  it  was. 

Therefore  the  only  reliance  was  upon  the  cavalry  to 
delay  and  harrass  him  in  his  advance,  with  the  hope  and 
expectation  that  reinforcements  would  enable  General 
Polk  to  give  battle  at  or  near  Meridian,  in  which  our 
division  could  take  part.  When  it  was  known  that  the 
enemy  had  left  Vicksburg  and  were  advancing,  our 
brigade  was  ordered  forward  to  meet  them,  and  we  first 
met  about  ten  miles  northwest  of  Clinton,  on  the  old 
dirt  road,  from  Vicksburg  to  Jackson,  and  on  a  planta- 
tion said  to  be  owned  by  General  Joe  Davis,  a  relative  of 
the  president. 

The  country  was  hilly  and  we  had  a  very  good  posi- 
tion near  the  houses  on  the  place,  whosever  it  was,  and 
the  enemy  could  be  seen  across  the  fields  for  nearly  or 
quite  a  mile,  before  there  was  any  firing,  on  either  side. 
It  is  curious  how  sometimes  memory  brings  back  little 
and  unimportant  things  from  the  past,  as  it  does  to  me 
now  about  this  little  skirmish.  When  the  enemy  came 
fairly  in  sight  on  the  hill  opposite  to  us  they  halted,  and 
sending  forward  a  skirmish  line  advanced  regularly 
several  regiments  in  line  of  battle,  evidently  not  know- 
ing the  force  we  had,  which,  indeed,  only  consisted  of 
three  regiments  of  cavalry  with  King's  battery  of  artil- 
lery which  we  had.  In  front  of  their  line  gayly  trotting 
along  as  if  he  enjoyed  the  fun  was  a  dog,  and  it  looked 
exactly  as  if  they  were  setting  him  at  us.      I   think   till 


150  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

we  were  obliged  to  retire  as  many  shots  were  fired  at 
this  dog  as  at  the  enemy,  for  the  boys  seemed  to  take  it 
as  a  special  insult.  Whether  this  dog  was  a  "mascot" 
brought  by  the  regiment  to  which  it  was  attached  from 
the  north  or  was  a  "scalawag"  who  had  deserted  from 
the  loyal  dogs  of  the  state  I  cannot  tell. 

We  had  a  few  hurt  in  the  slight  skirmish  and  one  man 
in  the  artillery  killed,  and  got  away  in  good  order,  fall- 
ing back  to  a  few  miles  from  Clinton,  being  now  satis- 
fied that  a  large  force  was  advancing,  for  what  special 
purpose  and  where  to  go  events  were  to  develop. 

At  Clinton,  the  next  morning,  we  had  a  sharp  skirmish 
with  small  loss  to  us,  and  unknown  loss  to  the  enemy, 
and  fell  back  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Jackson  with  the 
main  body  of  the  command,  leaving  a  squadron  or  two  to 
bring  up  the  rear,  one  I  remember  from  the  First  Mis- 
sissippi, but  I  do  not  remember  who  commanded  it. 
Something  over  a  mile  from  the  old  federal  breastworks 
on  the  Clinton  road  Colonel  Starke  halted,  and  formed 
again,  but  ordered  Colonel  Pinson  to  fall  back  to  the 
breastworks,  and  there  again  form.  The  colonel  directed 
me  to  carry  out  the  movement,  while  he  remained  to 
bring  up  our  missing  squadron  and  look  after  some  other 
matters.  I  formed  just  inside  the  breastworks,  my  right 
resting  on  the  Clinton  road  and  the  left  extending  nearly 
to  another  road  leading  into  Jackson,  and  which  intersected 
or  joined  the  Clinton  road  just  outside  the  city.  I  sup- 
pose Colonel  Starke's  purpose  was  to  have  his  retreat 
covered,  but  I  had  not  been  in  position  long  before  I  dis- 
covered that  the  enemy  was  also  advancing  on  the  other 
road  I  have  spoken  of,  and  I  feared  that  not  only  would 
Starke  be  cut  off,  but  that  I  also  would  be.  Still  I  could 
not  leave  without  orders,  but  pretty  soon  the  firing  in  the 
front*  became  quite  heavy,  and  looking  up  the  road  I  saw 
Starke  at  the  head  of  the  command,  coming  in  a  sweep- 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  I^I 

ing  gallop,  and  at  the  same  time  the  enemy  began  firing 
on  my  line  from  the  other  road.  Starke  seemed  to  have 
whorly  forgotten  me,  and  I  had  to  call  to  him  as  he  passed 
for  orders,  which  he  gave  me  without  stopping,  to  mount 
and  follow.  It  came  near  being  too  late  for  me,  for  nec- 
essarily my  command  had  to  fall  in  the  rear  of  the  col- 
umn as  it  passed,  in  column  of  fours,  going  rapidly  but 
in  good  order.  A  few  men  were  wounded  in  the  regi- 
ment, but  none  were  killed,  but  their  bullets  continued  to 
sing  about  us  even  after  we  had  crossed  the  railroad  and 
gotten  well  into  Capitol  street.  No  halt  was  made,  the 
regiment  going  through  the  city  as  fast  as  it  could  and 
preserve  order.  When  the  head  of  my  column  reached 
the  street  west  of  the  governor's  mansion,  along  which 
street  Colonel  Starke  had  turned,  I  saw  Judge  William 
Yerger,  the  greatest  lawyer  of  that  family  of  lawyers, 
standing  on  his  sidewalk,  and  looking  anxiously  towards 
the  advancing  enemy,  who  by  now  were  at  the  railroad. 
I  had  no  time  to  stop,  but  waived  my  hat  to  him  as  I 
passed,  receiving  a  greeting  in  return,  for  I  knew  him 
well.  He  was  my  friend,  and  I  honor  and  revere  his 
memory,  and  in  passing  pay  this  tribute  to  it. 

We  soon  stopped  our  headlong  race,  and  got  down  to  a 
march,  but  did  not  halt  for  some  miles  beyond  the  insane 
asylum,  going  into  camp,  or  rather  a  bivouac,  for  the 
night. 

We  had  seen  or  heard  nothing  of  Colonel  Pinson  or  our 
squadron,  and  Colonel  Starke  could  tell  nothing  about 
them,  for  it  seemed  that  when  he  had  been  attacked  the 
day  before  it  had  been  with  such  a  large  force  that  he 
had  difficulty  in  extricating  the  main  body  of  his  com- 
mand. I  feared  some  disaster  had  befallen  Pinson,  but 
early  in  the  morning  we  had  a  courier  from  him,  and  in 
the  course  of  the  day  he  joined  us  without  having  lost  any 
men,  having  made  his  escape  by  way  of  Madison  station. 


152  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    3IISSISSIPPIAN, 

The  brigade  was  ordered  across  the  Pearl  river,  which  we 
crossed  somewhere  west  of  Brandon,  and  there  crossing 
the  Meridian  railroad  in  advance  of  the  federal  column. 

We  remained  on  the  east  of  the  railroad  till  we  had 
reached  Meridian,  marching  parallel,  or  as  nearly  so  as 
the  roads  would  permit  with  the  federals,  and  without 
attempting  to  strike  a  blow,  so  that  their  march  was 
really  unopposed.  We  entered  Meridian,  I  think  about 
the  eighteenth  day  of  February,  passing  through,  for  the 
enemy  was  entering  in  force  by  one  road,  as  we  came  in 
by  another,  and  they  nearly  succeeded  in  cutting  us  off. 
As  it  was,  we  passed  through  to  the  northern  part  of  town 
on  the  road  leading  towards  L,auderdale  Springs,  and  here 
halted  and  formed  to  give  our  artillery  time  to  move  on 
and  out  of  danger.  The  enemy  attacked  us,  and  we  had 
a  slight  loss  and  retired,  but  they  did  not  pursue. 

General  Polk  had  retired  to  the  Tombigbee  river,  and 
was  there  reinforced,  but  he  did  not  advance.  A  part  of 
General  Sherman's  plan  had  been,  that  a  strong  cavalry 
force  should  join  him  from  the  northern  part  of  the  state, 
and  this  was  attempted  under  the  federal  Generals  Smith 
and  Grierson,  but  the  ubiquitous  Forrest  was  in  his  way. 
We  were  ordered  to  reinforce  Forrest,  and  moved  rapidly 
forward  to  do  it,  but  after  a  day  or  two's  march,  on  the 
second  day  going  beyond  Macon,  learned  of  his  brilliant 
victory,  and  were  turned  back  to  harass  Sherman  on  his 
return  to  Vicksburg.  Whatever  Sherman's  ulterior  des- 
tination may  have  been,  the  defeat  of  Smith  compelled 
him  to  change  his  plans.  We  moved  as  fast  as  we  could 
and  on  the  first  day  of  March,  I  find  from  an  old  letter 
written  that  day  to  my  wife,  we  were  near  Sharon,  a 
little  village  a  few  miles  east  of  Canton.  I  make  some 
extracts  from  that  letter  describing  our  operation  for  a 
few  days. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 53 

"Camp  near  Sharon,  March  ist,  1864.. 

.  .  .  "We  have  arrived  here  and  had  a  little  brush 
day  before  yesterday  with  the  enemy.  They  advanced 
on  our  regiment  and  we  fought  them  awhile,  having  four 
or  five  horses  killed.  My  horse  was  hit,  but  fortunately 
not  badly  hurt,  and  Doctor  Montgomery's  horse  was 
killed  by  a  cannon  shot  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  rear  of  the 
regiment.  The  Doctor  was  on  the  horse  which  was  a 
new  one  he  had  just  bought." 

The  doctor  was  our  brigade  surgeon  and  took  a  notion 
he  would  ride  to  the  front  where  the  regiment  was  en- 
gaged, but  he  concluded  after  he  got  there  that  his  business 
was  to  cure  the  wounded  and  not  to  be  wounded  himself, 
and  so  went  back,  but  when  he  had  got  back  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  the  enemy  commenced  firing  artillery 
down  the  road,  and  the  first  shot  killed  his  new  horse, 
without  injuring  him. 

To  quote  again  from  the  letter.  .  .  .  "After  this 
little  affair  General  Jackson  ordered  our  regiment  to  make 
a  scout  towards  Canton.  We  started,  and  avoiding  the 
forces  in  our  front,  struck  a  road  leading  north  from 
Canton,  and  got  in  about  six  miles  of  that  place  when  we 
heard  of  a  forage  train  just  ahead  of  us.  We  soon  over- 
took it  and  captured  nine  splendid  wagons  and  teams, 
which  we  brought  out  safely  and  with  about  twenty  pris- 
oners. Colonel  Pinson  sent  me  with  three  companies  on 
the  right  side  of  the  road  while  he  took  the  left.  They 
got  some  wagons  across  a  creek  which  Colonel  Pinson 
could  not  cross  on  his  side  of  the  road,  but  on  my  side  I 
succeeded  in  crossing,  and  followed  till  I  came  in  sight 
of  a  large  force  drawn  up  near  their  camps,  when  I  re- 
tired and  got  out  safely.  We  were  then  in  two  miles  of 
Canton  where  I  think  General  McPherson's  division  is 
camped.  We  had  one  man  killed  and  one  wounded  and 
seven  horses  killed.     The  next  day  which  was  yesterday, 


154  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

we  again  advanced  on  the  Sharon  road,  and  I  was  ordered 
with  four  companies  to  support  our  battery.  It  soon  was 
recalled,  and  the  enemy  advanced  on  me  with  five  or  six 
hundred  men  and  forced  me  to  retire,  which  I  did  under  a 
heavy  fire,  with  five  men  wounded,  two  mortally,  one  of 
them  being  Pitt  Davidson,  severely,  whom  you  know. 
We  then  came  to  camp,  and  last  night  it  rained,  and  this 
morning  we  were  ordered  out  in  a  very  heavy  rain,  but 
soon  came  back,  it  appearing  that  the  enemy  have  left 
Canton  and  gone  to  Vicksburg  or  in  that  direction.  I  am 
in  hopes  now  we  will  get  our  trains  and  get  some  rest. 
We  have  been  in  the  saddle  for  twenty-six  days  without 
rest,. and  clear  across  the  state  twice,  during  which  time 
I  have  been  in  five  different  fights,  or  rather  five  differ- 
ent days,  skirmishing  or  fighting  all  day." 

As  the  enem3r  left  Canton,  we  followed  and  overtook 
his  rear  guards  some  twenty  miles  below  Moore's  Bluff, 
on  the  Big  Black  river,  as  I  find  from  a  letter  written  at 
that  place  on  March  the  5th,  and  Colonel  Starke's  regi- 
ment being  in  advance  had  a  skirmish  with  them  with 
small  loss,  and  inflicting  some  loss  in  killed  and  wounded 
on  them. 

We  remained  at  Moore's  Bluff  a  few  days,  and  then, 
at  last,  being  joined  by  our  wagon  trains,  General  Jack- 
son moved  his  whole  division  to  a  camp  near  Benton,  in 
Yazoo  county.  Here  we  remained  for  a  month,  resting 
and  recruiting  our  horses  as  well  as  ourselves. 

After  a  week  or  two,  Colonel  Pinson  got  a  leave  of  ab- 
sence and  went  home,  and  while  there  married  Miss  S. 
E.  Duke,  to  whom  rumor  said  he  had  long  been  engaged. 
While  at  this  camp,  Colonel  George  Moorman,  now  the 
efficient  adjutant-general  of  the  United  Confederate  Vet- 
erans, and  to  whom  this  organization  owes  more,  per- 
haps, than  to  any  other  one  man,  who  had  long  been  the 
adjutant-general  of  Jackson's  division,  was  relieved  from 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 55 

duty,  at  his  own  request,  for  a  time,  at  least,  because  of 
some  trouble  with  his  eyes.  This  was  much  regretted, 
for  his  uniform  courtesy  to  officers  and  men  had  endeared 
him  to  the  command.  On  leaving,  he  wrote  me  a  letter 
which  I  hope  yet  to  be  able  to  incorporate  with  these 
memoirs,  as  it  was  a  general  leave-taking  of  the  regi- 
ment. 

While  we  were  still  at  the  camp  near  Benton,  General 
Jackson  came  over  from  his  headquarters,  and  he  and 
Colonel  Starke  rode  through  the  camps.  They  did  not 
stop  at  my  quarters,  or  pass  very  near  them,  though  in 
sight;  but  in  some  part  of  the  camp,  not,  of  course,  in 
my  presence  or  hearing,  some  of  the  men,  only  a  few,  I 
believe,  who  thought  they  could  escape  detection,  hissed 
at  them.  I  knew  nothing  of  it  for  some  little  time,  and 
then  my  information  came  from  a  friend  at  brigade  head- 
quarters, and  who  was  with  Jackson  and  Starke  on  their 
ride  through  camp.  This  gentleman  told  me  that  Colonel 
Starke  told  Jackson  that  it  was  due  to  his  (Jackson's) 
unpopularity  that  this  insulting  conduct  had  been  in- 
dulged in,  and  he  said  the  general  seemed  much  mortified 
at  it.  I  at  once  instituted  an  inquiry  to  locate  the  guilty 
men,  but,  of  course,  without  success.  I  was  especially 
anno3"ed  at  it,  because  my  relations  with  the  general  had 
for  a  long  time  been  of  the  most  formal  kind,  and  I 
feared  he  might  think  it  was  due  to  this  that  the  offense 
was  committed.  I  therefore  addressed  him  a  letter  apol- 
ogizing to  him  in  the  name  of  the  regiment,  as  well  as 
expressing  my  own  regret  at  the  occurrence,  and  assur- 
ing him  that  the  regiment  had  the  highest  respect  for 
and  confidence  in  him,  and  that  whatever  was  the  cause 
of  the  misconduct  it  was  not  intended  for  him. 

This  letter  I  sent  him  by  a  special  courier,  and  in  a 
few  hours  received  an  answer,  which  I  read  to  the  regi- 
ment that  evening  at  parade,  and  this  closed  the  matter, 


I56  REMINISCENCES    OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

and  from  that  time  to  the  close  of  the  war  my  relations 
with  the  general  when  we  happened  to  meet  were  free 
from  embarrassment,  and  more  cordial  than  they  had 
been,  though  never  so  much  so  as  they  would  have  been, 
if  he  had  not  treated  me  as  I  thought  and  all  others  ac- 
quainted with  the  facts  thought  unjustly,  as  has  been 
before  set  out.  The  fact  was  that  the  insult  was  offered 
to  Colonel  Starke,  who  was  extremely  unpopular  in  the 
brigade  at  that  time,  though  his  adjutant-general,  Frank. 
Valliant,  of  Washington  county,  was  very  much  liked, 
and  was  an  especial  friend  of  mine. 

I  omitted  to  mention  in  its  proper  place  that  on  our  re- 
turn from  Wolfe  river,  as  soon  as  it  was  known  Adjutant 
Beasley  had  died,  Johnson,  orderly  sergeant  of  Cap- 
tain J.  R.  Taylor's  company,  was  promoted  to  be  adju- 
tant, for  which  important  office  he  was  well  fitted. 

We  left  the  camp  near  Benton  early  in  April,  the  whole 
division  moving  first  towards  Grenada,  and  from  that 
neighborhood  in  a  short  time  across  the  state  to  the  Mo- 
bile and  Ohio  railroad,  and  shortly  to  Columbus,  where 
preparations  were  made  for  a  long  march  to  Georgia  to 
reinforce  the  army  of  General  Johnston. 

It  was  while  on  this  march  from  Grenada,  and  about  a 
day's  march  from  that  place,  that  we  were  joined  by  that 
splendid  soldier,  General  Frank  C.  Armstrong,  who  now 
assumed  command  of  the  brigade,  and  was  its  commander 
till  the  close  of  the  war. 

One  of  the  handsomest  men  I  ever  saw,  a  graduate,  I 
believe,  of  West  Point,  a  lieutenant  in  the  federal  army 
at  the  commencement  of  the  war,  he  soon  won  the  confi- 
dence of  his  command,  and  to-day  he  is  remembered  with 
affection  and  pride  by  his  old  command.  The  following 
is  a  letter  written  to  me  a  few  days  ago  by  him: 


</y}%*Jtl   Vt  y^f^^t^tj 


BRIGADIER-GENERAL  ARMSTRONG'S  MISSISSIPPI   CAVALRY   BRIGADE. 


IN"   PEACE    AND    WAR.  I57 

Woodburn,  Virginia,  Aug.  16,  igoo. 
Col.  F.  A.  Montgomery,  Rosedale,  Miss.: 

My  dear  friend — Yours  12th  inst.  received.  I  am  here 
for  a  few  weeks  during  this  very  hot  spell.  I  was  very 
glad  to  hear  again  from  you,  as  I  always  am  to  be  iu 
touch  with  my  old  comrades  of  the  war.  In  reply,  you 
are  correct  in  the  statement  that  my  first  service  with 
your  gallant  regiment,  First  Mississippi,  was  our  raid 
around  Bolivar,  Tenn.  I  assumed  command  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi brigade  permanently  one  day's  march  from  Gre- 
nada, en  route  to  join  General  Johnston's  army  in  Georgia, 
and  remained  in  command  until  the  end  of  the  war.  Af- 
ter the  battle  of  Chickamauga  I  went  with  Longstreet  to 
East  Tennessee,  and  was  applied  for  by  Forrest  and  Stephen 
D.  Lee,  to  be  transferred  to  Mississippi.  On  my  arrival 
in  Mississippi,  Lee  assigned  me,  or  was  about  to  do  so,  to 
the  command  of  the  troops  on  the  Mississippi  river  line, 
with  headquarters  at  Clinton.  The  same  day  orders  came 
to  send  Jackson's  division  to  Georgia,  and  I  at  once  ex- 
pressed a  preference  for  active  service  in  front  of  Atlanta. 
I  was  assigned  to  the  old  brigade,  each  regiment  of  which 
I  had  known  well  before.  Though  I  gave  up  a  larger 
command  and  district,  I  never  regretted  it,  as  the  honor 
and  satisfaction  I  always  had  in  commanding  that  glori- 
ous old  Mississippi  brigade,  the  First,  Second,  Twenty- 
eighth,  and  Ballentine's  regiment,  with  King's  Missouri 
battery,  was  my  pride.  Always  ready,  perfectly  reli- 
able, and  under  all  circumstances  and  conditions  efficient, 
it  was  then,  and  has  always  been  since,  my  pride  to  be 
remembered  as  the  commander  of  such  patriotic  and  he- 
roic men. 

In  Georgia  and  on  the  advance  of  Hood  into  Tennes- 
see, and  on  the  retreat  to  the  Tennessee  river  from 
Nashville,  they  were  always  nearest  to  the  enemy,  and 
they  never  faltered.     Often  without    rations   or  forage, 


158  REMINISCENCES   OF  A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

and  nothing  but  their  determination  and  honorable  sense 
of  duty  to  sustain  them,  they  stood  their  ground,  yield- 
ing only  under  orders.  When  we  returned  to  Tupelo, 
you  will  remember,  I  with  General  Dick  Taylor's  con- 
sent furloughed  the  brigade,  and  pledged  myself  to  him 
that  these  regiments  would  return  at  the  appointed  time 
better  equipped  and  mounted  than  when  they  were 
furloughed.  They  faithfully  kept  my  pledge,  and  re- 
turned in  a  few  weeks  better  off  and  ready  for  all  work. 
I  can  truly  say  that  they  were  always  loyal  to  their  duty 
and  cause  and  never  failed  me  in  a  single  instance.  My 
love  and  respect  for  you  all  will  only  end  when  I  am 
dead.  If  in  your  book  you  could  embody  a  roster  of  the 
several  regiments  of  the  old  brigade  it  would  greatly  add 
to  its  value,  as  you  were  always  so  closely  connected  with 
their  services.  Of  the  old  First  Mississippi  Cavalry, 
Colonel  Dick  Pinson  and  yourself,  lieutenant-colonel,  as 
well  as  the  company  officers  and  privates,  nothing  is  too 
complimentary.  My  confidence  never  wavered  with  the 
old  First  on  the  line.  I  hope  to  see  some  of  my  old 
friends  again.  I  cannot  close  without  expressing  to  you, 
my  dear  old  comrade,  the  great  satisfaction  you  always 
gave  me  in  the  discharge  of  your  duty,  as  you  frequently 
commanded  your  regiment.  I  was  some  times  tem- 
porarily commanding  the  division  and  then  Pinson 
would  have  my  brigade  and  you  the  old  First  Regi- 
ment. You  both  did  your  duty  so  perfectly  that  I 
always  thought  it  a  pity  it  could  not  be  permanently  so. 
I -send  you  a  photo  taken  a  few  months  ago,  would  you 
know  it  ?  Always  yours  sincerely, 

Frank  C.  Armstrong. 

I  know  that  every  member  of  the  old  brigade  who 
reads  this  letter  will  be  glad  to  have  this  greeting  from 
their  old  commander,  who  gave  his  name  to  the  brigade, 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR.  1 59 

and  by  which  it  is  known  and  will  be  known  as  long  as 
any  of  us  are  left. 

Elsewhere  in  this  book  will  be  found  his  portrait  from 
the  photo  he  sent  me,  and  few,  if  any,  will  recognize  the 
dashing  soldier  of  thirty-five  years  ago  who  led  the 
brigade,  though  all  will  be  glad  to  see  that  time  has 
dealt  gently  with  him. 

Colonel  Pinson  joined  us  on  our  march  just  before  we 
reached  Columbus,  and  received  the  congratulations  of 
all  his  men  upon  his  marriage,  as  well  as  their  sympathy 
in  the  necessity  which  separated  him  so  soon  from  his 
bride. 


l6o  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

March  to  Georgia — Campaign  in  Georgia — Join  General  Johnston 
at  Adairsville,  engaged  at  once — Letter  to  my  wife  from  Car- 
tersville — Constant  fighting — General  Johnston's  battle  order, 
enthusiasm  of  troops — Cross  the  Etowah,  brigade  in  rear — 
Fight  at  creek — Soldier's  dream — Battle  of  Dallas,  assault  Fed- 
eral intrenchments — Repulsed  with  severe  loss  in  regiment  and 
brigade — Letter  to  my  wife  describing  the  battle. 

History  records  that  the  campaign  commenced  in  both 
Virginia  and  Georgia  about  the  first  of  May,  1864,  and 
these  campaigns  were  in  fact  decisive,  though  not  soon  to 
end,  for  the  Georgia  campaign  ended  with  the  capture  of 
Atlanta,  four  months  later,  and  then  Sherman's  triumph- 
ant march  to  the  sea;  and  the  Virginia  campaign  only 
ended  when  the  splendid  army  of  Lee,  of  about  sixty- 
two  thousand  men,  with  which  he  first  met  Grant  and 
won  his  victories,  reduced  to  a  mere  handful  of  about 
eight  or  ten  thousand  ragged  and  worn-out  veterans,  was 
compelled  to  evacuate  Petersburg,  and  then  a  few  days 
later,  at  Appomattox,  unable  either  to  fight  or  retreat 
further,  surrendered. 

Of  the  situation  at  the  commencement  of  these  cam- 
paigns I  quote  again  from  General  Dick  Taylor's  plain- 
spoken  but  well  and,  I  think,  fairly  written  book: 

"Upon  what  foundations  the  civil  authorities  of  the 
Confederacy  rested  their  hopes  of  success,  after  the  cam- 
paign of  1864  fulh'  opened,  I  am  unable  to  say,  but  their 
commanders  in  the  field,  whose  rank  and  position  enabled 
them  to  estimate  the  situation,  fought  simply  to  afford 
statesmanship  an  opportunity  to  mitigate  the  sorrows  of 
inevitable  defeat." 


IN   PEACE   AND   WAR.  l6r 

This  may  have  been  true,  but  all  the  resources  of 
statesmanship  could  never  "mitigate  the  sorrows  of  de- 
feat" to  the  southern  soldier  if  defeat  was  to  come;  and, 
in  fact,  no  attempt  at  statesmanship  was  ever  made  to 
end  the  war,  except  the  much-talked-of  Hampton  Roads 
conference,  and  the  slogan  on  one  side  was  "Union"  and 
on  the  other  "Independence."  Statesmanship  had  no 
place  in  the  question  now;  only  the  generals  in  the  field 
could  settle  it.  But  if  General  Taylor  was  right,  and  he 
and  other  generals  only  saw  "inevitable  defeat"  staring 
us  in  the  face  when  this  campaign  opened,  no  such  feel- 
ing existed  in  the  army;  fear  there  sometimes  was,  but  no 
doubt  yet  of  ultimate  success. 

General  Jackson's  division  when  it  left  Columbus  to 
take  part  in  the  Georgia  campaign  was  as  full  of  hope 
and  confidence  as  it  had  ever  been,  and  in  all  the  bloody 
path  it  followed  from  Adairsville,  where  we  first  joined 
General  Johnston,  to  Atlanta,  when  he  was  removed  from 
the  command,  and  till  he  was  removed,  it  never  lost  it, 
and  even  then  not  wholly.     But  this  is  anticipating. 

We  left  Mississippi  almost  wholly  defenseless  along  its 
western  border  and  in  the  north,  save  for  General  Wirt 
Adams'  cavalry  brigade  in  the  south  and  General  Chal- 
mers in  the  north,  with  his  headquarters  at  Oxford,  with 
such  troops  as  he  could  gather;  but  the  state  had  been  so 
completely  overrun  by  both  armies  that  there  was  not 
much  at  the  time  to  tempt  the  federals,  and  besides  every- 
thing seemed  to  wait  as  with  hushed  breath  the  result  of 
the  great  campaigns  just  commencing  in  Virginia  and 
Georgia. 

Our  route  lay  by  Tuscaloosa  and  Monte  Vallo,  and 
thence  north,  by  Talledega  and  Anniston,  straight  to 
Rome,  Georgia.  This  country  had  not  yet  been  polluted 
by  the  tread  of  a  hostile  force,  and  few  confederate  forces 
had  been  through  it.  Its  clear,  running  streams  and 
n 


1 62  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPI  AX, 

beautiful  'valleys,  its  lovely  towns  and  villages,  and  some- 
times it  blue-topped  mountains,  all  dwell  in  my  memory 
yet.  A  few  days  was  to  bring  a  rude  contrast  to  these 
peaceful  scenes. 

We  reached  Rome  on  the  evening  of  the  15th  of  May, 
and  went  into  camp  a  little  east  of  the  town,  while  Gen- 
eral Ross  remained  on  the  west  of  it.  General  Jackson 
was  not  with  the  division,  having  been  in  some  way  dis- 
abled, I  do  not  recollect  how,  and  General  Armstrong 
was  in  command  of  the  division,  and  Colonel  Pinson  the 
ranking  officer  present,  in  command  of  the  brigade. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  the  sixteenth  news  was  received 
that  a  strong  cavalry  force  was  approaching  Rome  from 
the  northwest,  and  they  soon  came  into  contact  with  Ross, 
and  I  was  ordered  to  take  the  First  Mississippi  to  his  aid. 
The  enemy  retired  however,  having  found  a  stronger 
force  than  they  expected. 

That  evening  late,  we  were  ordered  to  move,  and  we 
made  a  forced  march  all  night  long,  reaching  General 
Johnston's  army  a  little  after  daylight  on  the  morning  of 
the  17th,  at  Adairsville.  We  were  at  once  ordered  into 
action,  and  from  that  day  till  the  fall  of  Jonesboro, 
on  the  first  of  September,  we  were  incessantly  engaged 
in  fighting,  scouting  and  guarding  the  left  flank  and  side 
of  the  army.  I  have  looked  in  vain  for  some  report  of 
the  operations  of  Jackson's  division,  but  except  brief  refer- 
ences, I  can  find  nothing.  General  Wheeler  who  com- 
manded the  cavalry  on  the  right  of  the  army,  has  left  an 
official  report  of  the  operations  of  his  command  from  May 
6th  to  31st,  included,  and  from  July  17th  to  October  9th, 
1864,  but  only  twice,  I  believe,  does  he  notice  General 
Jackson's  division,  and  these  times  were  to  give  some  in- 
formation sent  him  by  Jackson.  The  fact  was,  these 
cavalry  commands  never  acted  together,  but  each  retained 
its  position  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  army  respectively, 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 63 

or  on  the  east  and  west  of  the  railroad.  In  Jackson's 
division,  the  whole  division  seldom  were  together,  but 
were  often  widely  separated,  so  that  what  I  have  to  relate 
of  that  campaign  after  we  joined  the  army,  is  more  a  de- 
tail (partially)  of  the  operations  of  Armstrong's  brigade 
than  of  the  division,  and  this  I  regret,  for  never  was  a 
braver  brigade  than  Ross  had,  or  one  more  gallantly  com- 
manded. It  did  its  full  share  of  all  the  work  that  was 
done  by  the  division,  and  there  was  more  than  work 
enough  for  us  all. 

General  Johnston  in  his  report  of  the  operations  of  his 
army  from  December  27th,  1S63,  to  July  17th,  1S64,  men- 
tions the  arrival  of  the  command  at  Adairsville,  and  so 
does  Lieutenant  Mackall,  aid-de-camp  to  General  Mackall, 
chief  of  staff.  But  of  course  no  more  than  slight  refer- 
ences could  be  made.  It  is  to  supply  deficiencies  of  this 
sort  as  far  as  I  can,  that  these  memoirs  are  written,  and 
I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  write  and  publish  them  while 
there  are  some  still  living,  who  took  part  in  all  the  affairs 
I  relate. 

I  have  said  that  we  were  ordered  into  action  as  soon  as 
we  reached  the  army,  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  and  this 
was  to  reinforce  General  Wheeler,  who  at  the  time  was 
holding  the  enemy  in  check,  our  position  being  on  his 
right,  but  he  was  soon  forced  back,  and  our  brigade  re- 
tired to  the  infantry.  Almost  immediately  we  were  again 
ordered  forward  to  support  General  Hardee's  right,  who 
had  moved  out  to  engage  the  enemy.  General  Johnston 
disposes  of  this  affair  in  these  words:  "At  Adairsville  on 
the  17th,  Polk's  cavalry,  under  Brigadier  General  Jack- 
son (General  Armstrong  was  at  the  time  in  command) 
met  the  army,  and  Hardee  after  severe  skirmishing 
checked  the  enemy."  I  cannot  better  describe  the  part 
our  brigade  took  in  this  affair,  or  indeed  all  our  operations 
after  we  reached  Rome,   than  by  quoting  from   an  old 


164  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

letter  to  my  wife,  written  at  Cartersville  on  the  23rd.  I 
have  but  one  other  letter  written  from  Georgia,  and  to 
which  in  its  place  I  will  refer. 

"Camp  near  Cartersville,  May  23,  1864.. 
' '  I  wrote  you  a  long  letter  from  Monte  Vallo, 
Alabama,  which  I  sent  by  mail  to  Macon.  Next  day 
after  writing  we  started  to  Rome,  Georgia,  which  place 
we  reached  after  five  days'  hard  marching.  Next  morn- 
ing after  we  got  there,  I  commenced  a  letter  to  you,  to 
send  by  mail  to  Macon,  Mississippi,  but  only  wrote  a  few 
lines,  when  we  were  ordered  into  the  saddle  to  meet  the 
enemy  advancing  on  Rome,  and  my  regiment  was  ordered 
to  reinforce  General  Ross,  who  was  fighting  them.  I 
was,  and  have  been  since  we  have  been  here,  in  command 
of  the  regiment,  Pinson  having  been  in  command  of  the 
brigade.  The  enemy  retired  from  Rome  without  a  fight 
that  day,  but  I  have  been  too  busy  since  to  write.  The 
next  night  we  were  ordered  forward  to  join  General 
Johnston's  army,  which  was  falling  back,  and  after 
marching  all  night,  we  got  to  him  about  sun  up  next 
morning.  Our  brigade  was  immediately  ordered  to  the 
front  to  reinforce  General  Wheeler,  who  was  engaged. 
We  took  a  post  on  his  right,  but  he  was  soon  driven 
back,  and  we  were  ordered  to  retire.  We  had  hardly 
got  back  to  the  infantry  before  we  were  ordered  to  sup- 
port General  Hardee's  right,  who  moved  out  to  engage 
the  enemy,  and  for  some  time  a  general  engagement  was 
imminent.  We  went  forward  at  a  gallop,  and  took  posi- 
tion with  the  men  dismounted,  and  fought  the  enemy  for 
three  hours  without  giving  back  an  inch.  The  loss  in  the 
brigade  was  thirty-one  killed  and  wounded,  only  one  man 
in  my  regiment  killed,  and  two  or  three  wounded.  We 
fought  in  the  woods,  and  were  greatly  protected  by  them. 
Starke's  regiment,  commanded  b)r  Major  McBee,  fought 


IN   PEACE    AND   WAR.  1 65 

gallantly  and  sustained  more  loss  than  any  other.  They 
got  first  into  the  fight  and  were  somewhat  more  exposed. 
Our  brigade  gained  great  credit  with  the  whole  army  by 
the  fight,  as  they  were  in  hearing  and  sight  of  it  all.  That 
night  (of  17th)  the  army  fell  back,  and  we  again  marched 
the  whole  night  to  take  a  position  to  protect  the  move- 
ment." 

I  will  never  forget  that  night's  march,  nor  do  I  sup- 
pose any  of  the  command  ever  will.  It  was  the  second 
night  we  had  been  in  the  saddle  all  night  in  succession, 
with  the  busy  day  I  have  mentioned  between,  and  never 
before  or  since  did  I  feel  the  torture,  of  which  I  have 
read,  from  want  of  sleep.  Many  times  when,  from  una- 
voidable delays  in  a  night  march  of  a  long  column  of  cav- 
alry, in  rear  of  an  army  falling  back,  and  there  were  many 
such,  would  I  throw  myself  from  my  horse  into  the  road, 
as  did  many,  and  try  and  snatch  a  minute's  repose.  The 
morning  of  the  iSth  found  us  at  Cassville,  where  the 
whole  army  was  concentrated. 

It  is  somewhere  said,  "  there  is  no  rest  for  the  wicked," 
and  our  cavalry  was  like  the  wicked  on  this  campaign,  for 
we  had  no  rest,  and  on  this  day  of  all  others  we  needed  it 
so  much,  but  the  following  quotation  from  the  journal 
kept  by  Lieutenant  Mackall,  before  referred  to,  shows 
how  we  spent  the  iSth,  or  a  part  of  it,  at  least. 

Cassville,  May  18th. 
"Colonel  Hannon  just  reports  enemy's  cav- 
alry in  force  advancing  on  Fairmount  road  rapidly  and 
four  miles  from  here.  Armstrong  ordered  to  support  of 
Hannon."  ...  So  away  we  went  again,  and  were 
out  for  some  hours  with  only  a  slight  skirmish,  when  we 
wTere  ordered  back.  It  was  high  time,  for  men  and 
horses  were  worn  out  for  want  of  food  and  rest.  We 
passed  in  rear  of  the  infantry,  and  at  last  had  a  chance 


1 66  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

to  unsaddle  and  feed  our  horses  and  get  some  rations  for 
ourselves. 

I  had  a  splitting  headache  that  night,  but  a  night's 
sleep  made  me  all  right.  Next  day  our  brigade  had  no 
important  work  to  do,  but  there  was  heavy  firing  all 
along  the  line,  for  the  enemy  had  pressed  us  closely, 
and  that  da}-,  the  19th,  General  Johnston  issued  his 
celebrated  battle  order,  which  was  read  late  in  the  after- 
noon to  each  regiment  in  the  army.  It  was  received 
with  the  greatest  enthusiasm,  cheer  after  cheer  could  be 
heard  in  every  direction,  and  I  wondered  what  the 
enemy  thought,  as  they  were  near  enough  to  hear.  The 
position  of  our  division  was  to  be  on  the  left  of  General 
Polk,  who  held  the  left  in  the  line  of  battle  with  his 
corps,  and  late  in  the  evening  we  marched  towards  our 
place,  bivouacking  about  nine  at  night  on  the  side  of  a 
road,  from  which  at  daylight  we  were  to  move  to  take 
our  place  in  line. 

Spreading  my  blanket  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  by  the 
road  side  I  was  soon  asleep,  but  later  was  wakened 
with  the  noise  of  troops  passing  on  the  road.  I  sup- 
posed, of  course,  they  were  going  to  take  their  places  in 
line  and  was  far  too  sleepy  to  trouble  myself  about  them, 
so  that  my  surprise  may  be  imagined  when  I  found  in 
the  morning  that  the  army  was  again  falling  back.  The 
whole  army  was  bitterly  disappointed,  but  no  one 
censured  General  Johnston,  though  none  knew  the  reason 
of  his  change  of  plan,  and  many  do  not  perhaps  to 
this  day. 

His  own  statement  of  the  cause  was  this:  "Expecting 
to  be  attacked  I  drew  up  the  troops  in  what  seemed  to 
me  an  excellent  position,  a  bold  ridge  immediately  in 
rear  of  Cassville,  with  an  open  valley  before  it.  The 
fire  of  the  enemy's  artillery  commenced  soon  after  the 
troops  were  formed  and  continued   until    night.     Soon 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 67 

after  dark  Lieutenant- Generals  Polk  aud  Hood  together 
expressed  to  me  decidedly  the  opinion,  formed  upon  the 
observation  of  the  afternoon,  that  the  federal  artillery 
would  render  their  positions  untenable  the  next  day,  and 
urged  me  to  abandon  the  ground  immediately  and  cross 
the  Etowah.  Lieutenant-General  Hardee,  whose  position 
I  thought  weakest,  was  confident  that  he  could  hold  it. 
The  other  two  officers  were  so  earnest,  however,  and  so 
unwilling  to  depend  on  the  ability  of  their  corps  to  de- 
fend the  ground,  that  I  yielded  and  crossed  the  Etowah 
on  the  20th,  a  step  which  I  have  regretted  ever  since." 
This  report  was  written  at  Vineville,  Georgia,  October 
20,  1864.  I  do  not  see  why  he  should  have  regretted 
declining  battle  on  this  occasion,  with  two  out  of  three 
of  his  corps  commanders  anticipating  defeat  before  an 
attack  was  made.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  the 
morale  of  the  army  was  at  its  best,  and  if  he  had  re- 
mained and  tried  the  chances  of  battle  this  might  have 
carried  the  day,  but  the  risk  would  have  been  great  with 
the  doubts  held  by  these  two  commanders. 

As  the  army  retired  the  enemy  pressed  forward  rapidly, 
and  our  division  was  busily  occupied  on  the  different 
roads  by  which  their  advance  was  being  made,  as  was 
also  General  Wheeler,  in  covering  the  movements  of  the 
army.  There  was  skirmishing  all  the  time  enough  to 
make  it  extremely  interesting,  but  we  had  no  great  loss, 
probably  inflicting  more  on  the  enemy  than  we  suffered. 
Once  during  the  day  I  was  halted  at  the  ford  of  a  creek, 
and  near  the  ford  there  was  a  railroad  bridge  with  stone 
abutments  and  pretty  good  sized  embankment,  which  I 
thought  would  enable  me  to  make  a  good  stand,  and  I 
dismounted  the  men  and  sent  my  horses  back  to  a  wood, 
which  would  afford  them  shelter,  some  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  across  an  open  field. 

We  were  hardly  ready  for  them  before  they  came  on, 


168  REMINISCENCES    OF    A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

but,  as  they  were  exposed,  a  sharp  volley  checked  them, 
and  drove  them  back  to  shelter,  and  then  commenced  a 
lively  fusilade  at  long  range,  till  they  brought  up  artil- 
lery, and  I  was  forced  to  retire.  Some  way  or  another, 
a  report  got  back  to  the  ambulances  which  were  with  the 
horses  that  I  was  badly  wounded,  and  our  assistant  sur- 
geon, Dr.  Ferrell,  came  across  the  exposed  field  as  fast  as 
his  horse  could  run,  but  fortunately  I  had  not  been  hit, 
and  he  escaped,  though  it  was  almost  miraculous  that  he 
did,  for  this  little  open  field  was  swept  by  the  bullets 
which  were  fired  at  us  at  the  bridge.  But  the  doctor  was 
a  dear  friend  of  mine,  a  good  surgeon  and  a  brave  sol- 
dier, and  he  would  have  run  a  greater  risk  to  aid  me,  if 
he  thought  I  needed  it.  He  had  gone  out  as  a  private, 
as  did  many  other  young  physicians,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war,  and  was  from  Lafayette  county,  where  a  few 
years  after  the  war  he  died.  I  kept  him  with  me  at  the 
bridge  till  I  retired,  and  then,  by  availing  myself  of  the 
railroad  embankment,  we  got  to  our  horses,  with  only  a 
few  wounded,  and  none  badly.  I  don't  know  whether 
it  will  interest  my  readers,  but  it  is  of  supreme  interest 
to  me,  and  I  will  quote  again  from  the  Cartersville  letter, 
from  which  I  have  already  made  some  extracts: 

".  .  .  Next  day,  General  Johnston  issued  a  battle 
order,  and  we  all  expected  a  great  fight  to  come  off,  but 
in  the  night  he  again  fell  back  this  side  of  the  Etowah, 
where  we  now  are,  and  where,  if  the  enemy  crosses,  he 
will  doubtless  fight.  I  fought  the  Yankees  all  day  yes- 
terday— the  last  day's  retreat  to  this  place — had  only  a 
few  horses  and  men  wounded,  but  I  can  't  give  you  any 
description  of  the  fights.  ...  I  am  in  hopes  the 
main  battle  will  soon  come  off,  as  I  have  to  fight  and  be 
exposed  almost  every  day  anyhow,  and  the  sooner  it  comes 
off,  the  better  for  me.  The  army  is  in  fine  spirits,  and 
have  the   most  unbounded  confidence  in  their  General. 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  1 69 

I  had  a  real  soldier's  dream  the  other  night  of 
wife  and  children  and  home,  but,  like  the  soldier  in  the 

song, 

'  Sorrow  returned  with  the  dawning  of  morn 
And  the  voice  in  my  dreaming  ear  melted  away.' 

"...  I  firmly  believe,  that  if  we  continue  successful 
a  few  months  longer,  the  war  will  close  this  year,  and,  as 
God  has  hitherto  protected  me  so  long  amid  so  many  dan- 
gers, I  trust  it  is  not  presumption  in  me  to  hope  for  his 
protection  to  the  end."  .  .  .  It  is  a  little  curious  to 
me  that,  though  constantly  falling  back,  I  thought  then 
that  we  were  successful.  I  suppose  it  must  have  been 
that,  so  far  as  the  mere  fighting  was  concerned,  we  al- 
ways held  our  own,  as  General  Armstrong,  in  his  letter, 
says,  never  "yielding  except  under  orders,"  and  for  an- 
other reason,  that  the  confidence  in  General  Johnston 
was  so  great  that  we  all  felt  that  he  would  at  last  crush 
Sherman's  army,  and  I  believe  he  would  have  done  it,  if 
he  had  not  been  removed  from  the  command.  Besides, 
I  made  it  a  rule  always  to  write  home  cheerfully,  for  it 
was  bad  enough  there  anyway  without  the  apprehension 
of  defeat. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  23d,  the  day  my  letter  was 
written,  our  brigade  was  ten  or  twelve  miles  to  the  west 
of  Cartersville,  observing  the  enemy,  who  that  evening 
crossed  the  Etowah  at  Stilesborough,  of  which  General 
Johnston  was  duly  apprised,  as  appears  from  his  report 
"that  Jackson's  troops  reported  enemy  moving  down 
Etowah,  which  they  crossed  at  Stilesborough  on  23d." 
Our  brigade  fell  back  slowly,  and  on  the  25th  found  our- 
selves in  rear  and  to  the  left  of  General  Hood's  corps, 
which  had  its  center  at  New  Hope  Church,  and  where  a 
desperate  assault  was  made  late  that  evening,  with  a 
bloody  repulse  to  the  enemy,  whose  loss  was  estimated  at 
three  thousand  killed  and  wounded,  and  our  loss  about 


I70  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

four  hundred  and  fifty.  This  battle  lasted  about  two 
hours,  and  we  were  in  full  hearing  of  the  horrid  roar  of 
the  guns  without  taking  any  part,  for  we  had  other  duties 
assigned  to  us.  On  the  26th  we  moved  still  farther  to 
the  left,  and  on  the  27th  another  fierce  assault  was  made 
on  Cleburne's  division,  with  about  the  same  loss  to  the 
enemy  and  to  us.  Generals  Polk  and  Hardee  had  fallen 
back  a  little  south  of  Dallas,  where  the  enemy  had  arrived 
on  the  25th,  and  had  intrenched.  I  take  these  figures 
and  dates  from  General  Johnston's  report  before  alluded 
to.  On  the  morning  of  the  2Sth  of  May  we — our  brigade 
under  General  Armstrong,  for  General  Jackson  was  now 
in  command  of  his  division — were  in  rear  of  the  left  of 
General  Polk's  corps,  which  had  its  left  intrenched  in 
front  of  the  enemy  before  Dallas.  General  Johnston  dis- 
poses of  the  events  of  that  day  by  saying,  the  "usual 
skirmishing  was  kept  up."  Armstrong's  brigade  did  not 
consider  it  a  skirmish  in  which  late  in  the  day  they  were 
engaged,  nor  was  it,  as  the  account  will  show.  While 
resting  quietly  about  half  a  mile  in  rear  of  our  works  and 
listening  to  the  incessant  rattle  of  small  arms  with  the 
occasional  bursting  of  shells,  sometimes  in  the  tree-tops 
over  our  heads,  General  Armstrong  received  an  order  to 
leave  only  his  horse-holders  and  move  his  brigade  up  and 
occupy  the  trenches  on  the  left  which  had  been  vacated 
by  a  brigade  of  infantry  moved  to  some  other  point.  We 
did  not  reach  the  trenches  without  having  a  few  wounded, 
for  the  enemy's  fire  of  small  arms  was  constant,  and  we 
had  to  cross  an  open  field  to  get  to  our  place.  Once  there, 
we  were  safe  enough  if  we  kept  under  the  shelter  of  the 
works,  but  several  men  were  wounded  and  one  killed  by 
incautiously  exposing  himself.  Colonel  Pinson  went  to 
where  Armstrong  was,  near  the  center  of  the  brigade  (we 
were  on  its  right),  and  as  I  saw  nothing  to  do,  I  walked 
carefully  along  the  works  to  a  battery  on  a  hill  just  a 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  171 

little  ways  off,  and  where  the  left  of  General  Bates'  divi- 
sion rested.  In  our  front  was  thick  woods,  and  though 
the  enemy's  works  were  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards 
away,  we  could  not  see  them,  and  this  I  hoped  to  be  able 
to  do  from  this  hill  where  the  battery  was.  I  stopped  a 
moment  to  look  through  an  embrasure  at  the  battery,  and 
a  half  dozen  minie-balls  hissed  viciously  by  my  head,  and 
I  quickly  got  behind  the  fortification.  One  of  the  artillery- 
men said  to  me,  "You  made  a  narrow  escape;  I  have  seen 
several  men  killed  and  wounded  at  that  place."  If  he 
had  warned  me  beforehand  it  would  have  been  more  to 
the  purpose.  I  caught,  however,  a  good  look  at  a  part 
of  their  works,  which  seemed  very  strong,  and  I  had  no 
doubt  were  well  manned.  I  returned  in  a  few  minutes 
to  the  regiment,  taking  good  care  as  I  passed  the  embra- 
sure, and  a  little  later  Colonel  Pinson  came  back  and  in- 
formed me  General  Armstrong  had  received  an  order 
from  General  Bates,  at  a  given  signal  (a  cannon-shot)  to 
assault  the  enemy's  works  on  our  front.  He  said,  fur- 
ther, that  General  Bates  was  of  the  opinion  that  the 
enemy  had  only  a  skirmish  line  in  the  works,  and  that 
his  division  would  advance  as  we  did.  I  told  Pinson 
what  I  had  seen,  and  that  I  was  satisfied  the  enemy  were 
in  their  works  in  force,  for  it  was  certain  they  had  artil- 
lery*; but,  of. course,  we  were  powerless,  and  had  nothing 
to  do  but  obey.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the 
shot  came,  and  the  whole  brigade  with  a  cheer  scaled  the 
works  and  dashed  forward.  I  felt  we  were  going  to  a 
useless  slaughter  of  brave  men,  for  if  there  was  only  a 
skirmish  line  it  would  be  withdrawn  at  night,  but  if  the 
enemy  were  in  force  nothing  but  disaster  could  come  of 
the  assault.  I  copy  from  the  last  letter  written  from 
Georgia  home  which  was  received  and  has  escaped  de- 
struction, written  the  next  day,  and  briefly  describing 
the  battle: 


172  REMINISCENCES    OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

"Camp  near  Dallas,  Georgia,  May  29,  1S64.. 
"...  This  place  is  about  thirty  miles  northwest 
of  Atlanta,  and  our  army  is  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle 
from  here  to  the  railroad  at  Marietta,  about  fifteen  miles 
east.  I  wrote  to  you  some  days  ago  from  near  Carters- 
ville,  some  twenty-five  miles  north  of  here.  The  enemy 
flanked  our  position  there,  and  General  Johnston  threw 
his  army  in  their  front  here.  There  has  been  constant 
skirmishing  for  some  days,  with  occasionally  a  desperate 
battle  on  some  part  of  the  line,  but  as  yet  nothing  de- 
cisive. Both  armies  are  in  line  of  battle  and  fortified 
only  a  few  hundred  yards  apart.  Minie  balls,  shot  and 
shell  are  continually  flying,  even  over  our  camps  a  short 
distance  in  rear  of  the  works.  On  yesterday  our  brigade 
was  in  the  breast-works,  occupying  the  extreme  left  of 
our  army.  The  enemy  were  only  a  few  hundred  yards 
from  us,  and  we  were  ordered  at  a  given  signal  to  scale 
the  works  and  advance,  and  it  was  understood  a  division 
of  infantry  on  our  right  was  to  advance  at  the  same 
time.  Our  regiment  occupied  the  right  of  our  brigade 
next  to  the  infantry.  The  signal  was  given  and  over  and 
at  them  we  went,  driving  them  into  their  works  and 
capturing  a  battery.  The  infantry  on  our  right  failed  to 
move  forward,  and  we  were  compelled  to  retire  and  leave 
the  guns  and  our  gallant  dead  and  some  of  the  wounded 
on  the  field.  We  brought  off  some  prisoners,  and  killed 
a  good  many  Yankees,  but  lost  some  of  our  best  officers  and 
men.  The  gallant  and  chivalrous  captain  of  the  Bolivar 
troop,  Captain  Herrin,  fell  dead  at  the  head  of  his  com- 
pany, and  right  at  the  enemy's  guns.  Two  men  of  his 
company,  brave  soldiers.  Bishop  and  Reneau,  were  killed 
at  his  side.  Will.  Montgomery,  Charley  Jones  and  Bar- 
net  were  wounded,  but  we  brought  them  off;  some  others 
of  my  old  company  were  hit,  but  not  badly  hurt.  We 
lost  besides  in  the  regiment  Captain  Turner,  of  Pontotoc, 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  1 73 

mortally  wounded  (he  died  a  day  or  two  later),  and  Cap- 
tain Lester,  dangerously,  and  about  twenty  men  killed 
and  wounded  in  the  regiment. 

"The  other  regiments  in  the  brigade  suffered  about 
equally  in  the  loss  of  officers  and  men.  Captain  Clanton, 
of  Starke's  regiment,  who  was  in  Bolivar,  and  whom  you 
knew,  was  killed.  Two  field,  officers  of  my  rank  in  the 
brigade,  were  wounded,  one  reported  mortally. 
If  the  infantry  had  advanced,  we  could  have  held  their 
works  and  would  probably  have  taken  several  hundred 
prisoners.  We  were  relieved  from  the  breast-works  a 
little  while  ago  and  are  now  camped  about  half  a  mile 
from  them,  having  lain  on  them  all  night." 

Our  charge  was  down  one  hill  and  up  another  in  front 
of  the  First  Mississippi,  the  enemy's  battery  being  on  the 
crest  of  the  hill  and  in  our  immediate  front.  Just 
behind  it  were  strong  works  literally  filled  with  soldiers, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  hold  what  we  had  gained. 

We  got  back  to  our  own  works  and  reoccupied  them, 
momentarily  expecting  and  indeed  hoping  to  be  assaulted 
in  our  turn,  as  we  felt  sure  we  could  repulse  any  attack 
made  on  us.  But  the  enemy  contented  themselves  with 
heavy  firing  of  small  arms  and  cannon  till  it  was  after 
dark,  and  in  fact  all  through  the  night  it  was  more  or 
less  heavy. 

I  always  thought  and  still  think  "somebody  blundered." 
I  know  it  was  not  General  Armstrong,  who  led  his 
brigade  and  was  in  the  thick  of  the  fight.  Three  or  four 
days  after  this  letter  was  written,  we  found  their  works 
abandoned,  and  Pinson  sent  a  detail  to  recover  the  bodies 
of  our  dead.  Captain  Herrin  and  the  two  men  of  his 
company  were  found  in  a  shallow  grave  at  the  place 
where  they  fell,  and  were  given  a  more  decent  burial,  as 
were  the  other  dead  of  the  regiment  and  brigade.  A  de. 
cent   burial    meant   deeper  graves,    so    that    their  bones 


174  RRMIXTSCKNCKS   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAX, 

might  lie  undisturbed  till  they  had  all  crumbled  into  dust, 
and  become  a  part  of  that  earth  from  which  it  is  said 
they  once  had  come. 

We  reached  General  Johnston  at  Adairville,  on  the 
17th,  and  this  battle  was  fought  on  the  28th,  twelve 
days  of  continuous  skirmishing,  and  at  times  severe 
fighting  as  related,  and  this  was  our  brigade's  introduc- 
tion to  that  army  and  to  that  general,  upon  whom  it 
seemed  to  me  then  and  seems  to  me  now,  the  hopes  of  the 
confederacy  rested.' 


^LG<?(  chcu^&  vj  'n*-0V\  **<******>> 


FIRST    MISSISSIPPI    CAVALRY. 

Age  70. 


IN   PEACE   AND    WAR.  175 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Lost  Mountain,  constant  fighting — General  Polk  killed,  regret  at 
at  his  death — Armstrong's  scout  to  the  rear,  destroys  railroad 
and  captures  prisoners — Returns  to  army  and  orders  me  to  re- 
main twenty  four  hours  in  his  rear — Escape  without  loss — 
Mississippi  lady  refugee  refuses  forage — Compelled  to  take  it 
— Back  to  camp — Cross  Chattahooche  river,  and  ordered  to 
intercept  cavalry  raid  near  Newman — General  Johnston  re- 
lieved, and  General  Hood  in  command — Regret,  almost  de- 
spair, in  the  army — General  Dick  Taylor's  account  of  trouble 
between  Mr.  Davis  and  General  Johnston — Brigade  ordered  to 
Atlanta,  regiment  ordered  to  battle-ground  of  226.  of  July. 

When  the  enemy  withdrew  from  our  immediate  front, 
about  the  second  of  June,  it  was  because  they  were  grad- 
ually extending  their  line  in  front  of  our  right  flank,  and 
now  began  a  game  of  strategy  between  those  two  great 
masters  of  the  art  of  war,  Johnston  and  Sherman,  in 
which  the  one  with  a  greatly  superior  force,  was  to  suc- 
ceed in  forcing  the  other  back  to  Atlanta.  This  game 
was  to  continue  more  than  a  month  after  our  affair  at 
Dallas,  and  every  day  there  was  heavy  skirmishing  varied 
now  and  then  by  severe  assaults  on  our  works.  Thou- 
sands on  both  sides  lost  their  lives,  and  all  this  time  our 
cavalry  remained  on  the  left  of  the  army,  and  there  was 
scarcely  a  day  in  which  we  also  were  not  engaged  with 
some  though  generally  light  loss. 

The  enemy  had  a  well -equipped  cavalry  force  of  about 
fifteen  thousand,  as  estimated  by  General  Johnston,  and 
our  division  did  not,  I  think,  number  more  than  four 
thousand  men,  so  that  we  on  the  left  as  well  as  General 
Wheeler  on  the  right,  were  busy  all  the  time  in  watching 


176  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN", 

and  resisting  the  incessant  movements  of  their  cavalry  to 
keep  them  from  getting  behind  our  army.  They  were 
bold  and  daring,  and  gave  us  much  trouble,  but  no  seri- 
ous engagement  that  I  can  recall  took  place,  in  which  our 
cavalry  was  engaged  during  the  month  of  June,  though  as  I 
have  said,  we  were  all  the  time  busy.  On  the  5th  of  June 
our  brigade  was  at  Lost  Mountain,  and  from  its  top  we 
had  a  good  view  of  the  enemy,  and  at  its  base  a  skirmish 
with  them. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  General  Polk  was  killed,  and  his 
death  was  a  great  loss  to  the  army  and  to  our  cause. 
Not  only  was  he  a  brave  soldier,  but  he  was  a  competent 
commander,  and  it  was  believed,  and  I  think  it  was  true, 
that  he  had  a  well  deserved  influence  with  President 
Davis.  They  had  been,  as  I  remember,  class-mates  at 
West  Point,  and  were  more  than  that,  for  they  were 
warm  personal  friends,  and  it  may  be  if  he  had  lived  he 
might  have  prevented  that  serious  disaster  to  our  army, 
the  removal  of  General  Johnston,  and  it  is  certain  he 
would  have  tried  to  do  it.  He  had  entered  the  army  at 
Mr.  Davis'  personal  request,  so  it  was  said,  when  he  first 
came  to  Columbus  to  assume  command  there,  where  I  had 
the  honor  to  make  his  personal  acquaintance,  and  I  formed 
the  highest  opinion  of  his  character  as  a  man,  and  his 
ability  as  a  soldier.  I  always  associated  General  Polk  in 
my  mind,  with  Bishop  Compton  of  England,  who  assisted 
the  princess,  afterwards  Queen  Anne,  in  making  her 
escape  from  London  to  join  the  Prince  of  Orange,  after 
he  had  landed  in  England.  Macaulay  says  of  this  fight- 
ing bishop,  that  "  he  wholly  laid  aside  for  the  time  his 
sacerdotal  character.  Danger  and  conflict  had  rekindled 
in  him  all  the  military  ardor  which  he  had  twenty-eight 
years  before,  when  he  rode  in  the  Life  Guards.  He  pre- 
ceded the  princess'  carriage  in  a  buff  coat  and  jackboots, 
with  a  sword  at  his  side  and  pistols  in  his  holsters." 


IN    PEACE    .VXD    WAR. 


177 


So  with  General  Polk,  when  danger  threatened  his 
country,  the  military  ardor  engendered  by  his  education 
at  West  Point  revived,  and  he  gave  up  his  holy  calling 
for  one  he  deemed  as  sacred,  and  to  which  he  became  a 
martyr.  I  recall  that  on  the  day  before  he  was  killed, 
Colonel  Pinson  had  spent  the  day  at  his  headquarters, 
and  on  his  return  to  his  regiment  in  the  evening,  he  told 
me  that  General  Polk  had  told  him  he  intended  to  recom- 
mend his  promotion  to  the  rank  of  brigadier  general,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  if  General  Polk  had  lived  a  little  while 
longer,  this  well  earned  promotion  would  have  been  given 
to  one  of  the  best  of  all  the  cavalr3'  colonels  in  the  sen-ice. 
A  man  who  knew  no  fear,  who  shirked  no  duty,  who 
sought  no  soft  places,  but  always  roughed  it  with  his 
men.  But  it  is  not  yet  time  to  speak  of  Pinson  as  he  de- 
serves, but  I  hope  to  find  a  place  to  do  it. 

The  enemy  had  repaired  the  bridge  across  the  Etowah 
river,  which  we  had  destroyed,  and  had,  it  was  said,  es- 
tablished, or  was  about  to  do  so,  a  depot  of  supplies  at 
Alatoona,  some  twenty- five  or  thirty  miles  north  of  Ken- 
nesaw  Mountain,  where  our  line  was  from  the  19th  of 
June  till  about  the  2nd  of  July,  the  enemy  intrenched  as 
usual  close  to  our  line.  Some  time  in  the  last  days  of 
June,  General  Armstrong  was  ordered  to  take  a  detach- 
ment from  his  brigade,  and  to  cut  the  railroad  between 
the  Etowah  and  Alatoona.  I  think  about  twenty-five 
men  from  each  company  in  the  brigade  were  ordered  to 
take  five  days'  cooked  rations  and  prepare  to  go,  care  be- 
ing taken  to  select  those  men  whose  horses  were  in  best 
condition.  I  was  directed  to  take  command  of  the  de- 
tachment from  my  regiment.  Xo  one  knew,  of  course, 
the  object  of  the  move,  or  where  we  were  going,  except 
the  commanding  officers  from  each  regiment,  as  it  was  of 
the  last  importance  to  the  object  of  the  expedition  that 
we  should  get  into  the  rear  of  the  federal  army  without 

12 


I78  REMINISCENCES    OF    A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

it  being  known,  otherwise  we  would  certainly  have  been 
followed,  and  perhaps  compelled  to  return.  By  moving 
directly  west  for  some  miles,  and  then  suddenly  turning 
north,  Armstrong  succeeded  in  getting  entirely  in  rear  of 
the  federals,  and  soon  too  far  away  to  be  overtaken  be- 
fore we  could  strike  the  railroad.  Whether  we  could  get 
out  afterwards  was  another  matter;  it  was  time  enough 
to  think  of  that  when  it  became  necessary.  We  passed, 
I  remember,  through  the  old  battle  ground  of  the  25th  at 
New  Hope  Church,  and  to  our  astonishment,  every  tree 
between  the  lines  (they  were  all  oak  of  good  size)  was 
dead,  killed  by  the  inumerable  bullets,  which  had  hit 
them,  it  seemed  to  me,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.  Pas- 
sing as  rapidly  as  possible  onwards,  we  finally  struck  the 
railroad  a  little  north  of  Alatoona,  dispersing  a  force  of 
infantry  and  some  cavalry,  and  capturing  about  forty 
prisoners,  without  loss  on  our  side.  Armstrong's  force 
was  eight  or  nine  hundred  men,  and  he  found  that  Ala- 
toona was  too  strongly  garrisoned  to  be  successfully 
attacked.  He  had  no  artillery  on  this  raid.  He,  there- 
fore, destroyed  the  railroad  as  much  as  possible,  and  then 
moved  with  the  prisoners  to  the  west  for  some  miles,  and 
there  bivouacked  for  the  night.  For  forage  we  had  been 
compelled  to  depend  on  the  wheat  fields,  of  which  there 
were  many,  and  the  wheat  was  in  good  condition  for  for- 
age. We  fully  expected,  after  we  had  stirred  them  up, 
to  be  attacked  by  a  large  force,  but  I  suppose  their  cav- 
alry must  have  been  nearly  all  at  the  front,  for  we  saw 
nothing  of  them.  Here,  on  the  third  day  since  we  had 
left  the  army,  while  moving  back,  I  was  ordered  by  Gen- 
eral Armstrong  to  halt  and  remain  with  my  command  for 
twenty-four  hours.  He  moved  on  with  the  balance  of 
the  detachment  and  prisoners,  while  I  made  the  best  dis- 
position I  could  to  resist  an  attack,  if  one  was  made, 
placing  Captain  Montgomery,  who  had  succeeded  to  the 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  179 

command  of  Herrin's  company,  with  his  company  on 
picket,  while  I  moved  the  balance  of  my  command  about 
half  a  mile  further  on,  and  there  halted.  I  never  had  any 
doubt  but  that  I  would  be  attacked,  but  for  some  reason 
the  enemy  did  not  find  us.  Perhaps  they  did  not  have 
the  necessary  cavalry  force  in  that  vicinity,  which  I  sup- 
pose was  the  true  reason,  or  they  thought  we  had  gotten 
too  far  away  to  be  overtaken.  The  night  was  a  long  one, 
and  not  much  sleep,  but  the  next  day  till  my  twenty-four 
hours  were  up  was  much  longer,  but  at  last  the  time  came 
when  I  could  move,  and  I  gladly  did  so.  It  was  early  in 
the  afternoon  when  I  started  back  to  the  army,  and  I  de- 
termined to  put  as  much  space  as  possible  between  the 
dangerous  place  where  I  had  made  my  halt  and  my  camp- 
ing place  for  the  night.  I  had  taken  a  different  route 
back,  and  sent  a  detail  with  the  advance  guard  to  look 
out  for  forage  on  the  way,  as  our  horses  needed  corn 
badly.  After  marching  some  miles  I  found  my  detail 
had  halted  at  a  corn  crib  on  the  roadside  and  near  a  neat- 
looking  farm  house. 

They  told  me  there  was  a  lady  at  the  house  who  re- 
fused to  let  them  have  any  corn,  and  as  the  crib  was 
locked  they  had  waited  for  me.  I  went  up  to  the  house 
myself,  and  saw  the  lady  and  explained  to  her  the  neces- 
sity I  was  under  of  taking  corn  enough  to  feed  our 
horses,  but  she  would  not  give  me  the  key,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  have  the  house  broken  into  and  the  corn  taken 
anyway.  There  were  several  hundred  bushels  in  the 
crib,  and  a  fine  wheat-field  in  front  of  the  house,  so  I  had 
the  less  scruple  in  taking  her  corn.  This  lady,  I  remem- 
ber, was  from  Mississippi,  a  widow,  and  had  run  away  to 
escape  federal  raids  in  her  own  state;  and  now  one  of  her 
own  fellow-citizens  was  to  levy  tribute  upon  her.  I  do 
not  now  remember  what  county  she  was  from  or  her 
name,  though  she  told  me  both.     I  gave  her  a  statement 


180  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

showing  that  I  had  taken  her  corn  against  her  will,  so 
that  if  the  federals  should  find  her  they  could  not  accuse 
her  of  having  voluntarily  given  it  to  us,  of  which  she 
seemed  to  be  in  great  terror,  and  this  I  suspect  was  her 
reason  for  not  unlocking  her  door.  Up  to  that  time  no 
federals  had  found  her,  for  fortunately  she  was  off  the 
main  line  of  the  advance  and  our  retreat.  I  had  each 
man  take  a  good  feed  for  his  horse,  and  then  kept  on  till 
dark,  when,  finding  a  good  place  with  water,  I  halted  for 
the  night.  That  night,  with  good  men  on  picket,  we 
slept  soundly,  for  I  began  now  to  believe  we  would  get 
safely  back  to  our  command,  even  if  we  had  to  have  a 
brush  with  the  enemy. 

Next  morning,  bright  and  early,  I  was  on  the  way,  and 
did  not  halt  till  noon,  when  I  halted  in  a  valley  to  rest. 
Of  course  I  had  pickets  out  on  all  the  roads,  but  just  on 
one  side  of  our  halting-place  was  a  high  hill  and  woods, 
and  I  had  not  thought  it  necessary  to  place  any  sentinels 
in  that  direction.  I  lay  down  on  a  log  and  went  to  sleep, 
and  while  I  was  sleeping  there  came  a  rattling  peal  of 
thunder.  I  had  dropped  off  to  sleep  wondering  if  by  any 
chance  there  might  be  any  enemy  in  that  wood,  and 
thinkiug  if  there  were  what  a  surprise  they  would  give 
us  by  firing  a  volley,  when  this  peal  of  thunder  came,  and 
I  sprang  to  my  feet,  believing  it  was  true,  and  that  we 
were  surprised,  and  only  recovered  at  the  laughter  of  the 
boys,  who  at  once  divined  that  I  had  taken  the  thunder 
for  an  attack  from  the  woods. 

It  was  raiuing  hard,  and  had  rained,  I  believe,  every 
day  and  night  through  the  month  of  June,  which  I  at- 
tributed to  the  incessant  cannonading  and  firing  of  small 
arms.  Before  that  time,  I  had  heard,  it  never  rained  at 
night  in  June,  but  night  or  day  was  all  the  same;  it 
rained  all  the  time,  and  as  we  had  no  tents  we  had  to 
take  it. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  l8l 

I  reached  the  camp  late  that  evening,  astonished  that 
we  got  back  so  easily.  But  we  did  not  get  back  to  rest, 
for  the  enemy  was  now  extending  his  right,  so  that  now, 
on  the  ist  of  July,  or  on  the  2d,  General  Johnston  says 
Sherman's  right  was  nearer  to  Atlanta  than  our  left,  and 
was  threatening  the  railroad  bridge  and  Turner's  ferry. 
These  places  had  been  for  some  time  defended  by  a  divi- 
sion of  Georgia  state  troops  under  Major-General  Smith, 
who,  on  the  ist  of  July,  were  ordered  forward  to  support 
our  division,  which  was  resisting  the  enemy's  advance  on 
our  extreme  left.  General  Smith  only  had  about  fifteen 
hundred  men,  and  on  the  4th  of  July  he  reported  to  Gen- 
eral Johnston  that  he  would  be  compelled  to  withdraw  to 
his  intrenchments  at  the  railroad  bridge,  and,  of  course, 
this  necessitated  the  withdrawal  of  our  division  also.  We 
had  been  constantly  engaged  from  the  ist  to  the  5th,  with 
more  or  less  loss  every  day,  but  I  cannot  recall  the  num- 
ber or  any  names.  Our  fights  were  without  intrench- 
ments, and  if  any  reports  of  our  losses  were  ever  made  I 
have  never  seen  them,  and,  as  will  be  seen  later,  General 
Johnston  says  he  did  not  know.  Our  division  crossed 
the  Chattahoochee  river  on  the  night  of  the  5th,  and  at 
the  same  time  General  Wheeler  crossed  the  river  above, 
some  twenty  miles  from  us. 

We  were  guarding  the  river  for  some  twenty  miles 
below  Atlanta,  but  the  enemy  though  they  had  strongly 
threatened,  did  not  cross  on  our  front,  but  two  corps 
crossed  at  Powers'  ferry,  some  twenty  miles  northeast  of 
Atlanta,  and  on  the  9th,  General  Johnston  withdrew  his 
infantry  and  artillery  to  the  south  side  of  the  river.  We 
were  not  quiet  long  in  our  command,  as  will  be  seen  from 
this  extract  from  General  Johnston's  report.  "On  the 
14th,  a  division  of  federal  cavalry  crossed  the  river  by 
Moore's  bridge  near  Newnan,  but  was  driven  back  by 
Armstrong's  brigade,  sent  by  Brigadier  General  Jackson 


1 82  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

to  meet  it."  Newman  is  about  forty  miles  southwest  of 
Atlanta  on  the  railroad  leading  to  West  Point,  and  the 
enemy's  object  was  to  cut  this  road,  of  the  last  import- 
ance to  us  while  we  could  hold  Atlanta.  We  made  a 
forced  march  and  succeeded  in  intercepting  them  before 
they  reached  the  railroad,  and  though  they  had  a  division, 
we  drove  them  back  across  the  river  with  but  little  loss 
to  us,  and  not  much,  though  some,  to  them.  We  destroyed 
this  bridge,  and  General  Armstrong  remained  in  the 
vicinity  of  Newnan  a  few  days  observing  them,  and  wait- 
ing for  orders. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  July,  I  am  sure  of  the 
date,  for  I  can  never  forget  the  occasion,  Colonel  Pin- 
son  received  an  order  to  move  the  regiment  out  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  leaving  me  to  do  this,  he  rode  to 
Armstrong's  quarters.  I  had  just  got  the  regiment  in 
marching  order  and  moved  it  to  the  road  when  he  returned 
and  said,  "General  Johnston  has  been  removed  from  the 
command  of  the  army."  I  said  surely  you  are  mistaken, 
but  he  told  me  he  had  just  seen  at  headquarters  an  order 
signed  J.  B.  Hood,  General.  There  was  no  doubt  about 
it.  We  were  moving,  I  learned,  to  intercept  the  same  di- 
vision of  cavalry  we  had  already  defeated,  and  who  were 
supposed  to  be  making  a  dash  for  West  Point.  We 
marched  all  day  and  all  night,  and  I  will  never  forget  the 
gloom  of  that  march.  I  felt  that  our  cause  was  at  its 
crisis,  that  our  only  hope  had  been  in  Johnston,  the  alac- 
rity with  which  he  had  been  obeyed,  the  supreme  confi- 
dence the  army  had  in  him,  the  great  skill  he  had  dis- 
played in  keeping  so  long  at  bay  a  greatly  superior  force, 
the  loss  he  had  inflicted  on  that  force,  ably  commanded 
as  it  certainly  was,  and  the  small  loss  comparatively  he 
had  sustained,  never  losing  in  his  retreat  to  Atlanta,  a 
wagon  or  an  ambulance,  much  less  a  gun,  all  showed  him 
to  be,  I  thought,  and  this  was  the  general,  I  may  say  the 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  I  S3 

universal,  sentiment  in  the  army,  one  of  the  few  really- 
great  commanders  we  had,  and  if  the  history  of  this  cam- 
paign is  ever  fairly  and  fully  written,  this  will  be  his 
place. 

He  says  in  his  report,  "On  the  17th,  the  main  body  of 
the  federal  army  crossed  the  Chatahoochee  between  Ros- 
well  and  Powers'  ferry.  At  10  P.  M.,  while  I  was  giv- 
ing Lieutenant  Colonel  Presstman,  chief  engineer,  instruc- 
tions in  regard  to  his  work  of  the  next  day  on  the  fortifi- 
cations of  Atlanta,  a  telegram  was  received  from  General 
Cooper,  informing  me  by  direction  of  the  secretary  of  war, 
that  as  I  had  failed  to  arrest  the  advance  of  the  enemy  to 
the  vicinity  of  Atlanta,  and  expressed  no  confidence  that 
I  could  defeat  or  repel  him,  I  was  relieved  from  the 
command  of  the  army  and  department  of  Tennessee, 
which  would  immediately  be  turned  over  to  General  Hood. 
This  was  done  at  once. ' '  After  going  on  to  state  that  in 
turning  over  the  command  to  General  Hood,  he  had  ex- 
plained to  him  his  plans,  he  says  of  his  army  when  it  was 
turned  over,  '  'These  troops  who  had  been  for  seventy-four 
days  in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  enemy,  laboring 
and  fighting  daily,  enduring  toil,  exposure  and  danger 
with  equal  cheerfulness,  more  confident  and  high  spirited 
than  when  the  federal  army  presented  itself  near  Dalton, 
were  then  inferior  to  none  who  ever  served  the  con- 
federacy." 

This  was  literally  true,  as  was  well  known  to  every 
soldier  in  the  army,  and  admitted  by  all  save  one,  the  last 
who  ought  to  have  denied  it.  But  at  the  right  place  I 
will  let  him  speak  for  himself.  I  myself,  when  some- 
times passing  through  ranks  of  infantry  just  before  we 
crossed  the  Chattahoochee,  often  heard  such  expressions 
as,  "We  will  follow  old  Joe  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and 
back."  Indeed,  the  confidence  of  the  army  in  General 
Johnston  was  wonderful,  and  was  only  equaled   during 


184  REMINISCEXCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

the  war  by  the  devotion  which  Lee's  meu  felt  for  him. 
It  may  be  that  we  of  lesser  rank  than  some  of  the  great 
commanders  in  the  army,  and  the  men  of  the  rank  and 
file,  were  incapable  of  truly  estimating  General  Johnston's 
abilities;  but  at  least  we  knew  in  whom  we  trusted,  and 
want  of  confidence  in  a  commander  is  a  sure  presage  of 
disaster. 

Whatever  was  the  real  cause  of  General  Johnston's  re- 
moval, I  am  sure  it  was  not  because  of  any  prejudice,  if 
he  had  any,  against  him  in  the  mind  of  President  Davis, 
as  too  many  thought  and  said.  He  was  too  great  a  man, 
and  had  too  much  at  stake.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
of  all  the  men  of  the  confederacy  Mr.  Davis  had  the  most 
at  stake.  Failure  meant  not  only  ruin  to  the  cause  he 
loved,  but  disaster  to  his  own  great  fame,  for  upon  his 
devoted  head  was  to  be  poured  out  all  the  reproaches, 
for  a  time  at  least,  not  only  of  his  enemies,  but  of  many 
who  ought  to  have  been  his  friends,  more  loyal  in  defeat 
than  if  success  had  crowned  his  efforts  and  his  hopes. 
He  could  not,  brave  soldier  though  he  had  been  and 
would  gladly  have  been  again,  even  have  the  comfort  of 
knowing  that  he  had  exposed  his  own  life  to  danger  on 
the  battlefield  with  his  devoted  friends  and  followers. 
It  was  said  at  the  commencement  of  the  war,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  it  was  true,  that  Mr.  Davis  preferred  and  even 
desired  the  command  of  the  army  in  the  field  rather  than 
the  presidency,  but  this  could  not  be,  for  all  eyes  turned 
to  him,  and  no  other  man  could  in  his  place  have  done 
more  or  better,  none  I  believe  so  well. 

It  is  certain  General  Johnston  had  enemies  in  his  own 
army  who  lost  no  chance  to  do  him  harm  if  they  could 
with  the  president  and  widen  the  breach  between  them. 
The  disagreement  between  these  two  great  men,  both  so 
necessary  to  the  cause  to  which  both  were  devoted,  be- 
<ran,  according:  to  General  Dick  Taylor,  himself  an  emi- 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  1S5 

nent  soldier  and  a  brother-in-law  of  the  president,  in  the 
fall  of  1 86 1.     I  quote  from  him: 

"As  the  autumn  of  the  year  1861  passed  away,  the 
question  of  army  reorganization  pressed  for  solution, 
while  divergent  opinions  were  held  by  the  government  at 
Richmond  and  General  Johnston.  The  latter  sent  me  to 
President  Davis,  to  explain  his  views  and  urge  their 
adoption.  My  mission  met  with  no  success,  but  in  dis- 
charging it  I  was  made  aware  of  the  estrangement  grow- 
ing up  between  these  eminent  persons,  which  subse- 
quently became  'the  spring  of  woes  unnumbered.'  An 
earnest  effort  made  by  me  to  remove  the  cloud,  then  'no 
greater  than  a  man's  hand,'  failed,  though  the  elevation 
of  the  character  of  the  two  men,  which  made  them  listen 
patiently  to  my  appeals,  justified  hope.  Time  but  served 
to  widen  the  breach.  Without  the  knowledge  and  de- 
spite the  wishes  of  General  Johnston,  the  descendants  of 
the  ancient  dwellers  in  the  cave  of  Adullam  gathered 
themselves  behind  his  shield,  and  shot  their  arrows  at 
President  Davis  and  his  advisers,  weakening  the  influence 
of  the  head  of  the  cause  for  which  all  were  struggling." 

Again,  in  speaking  of  the  character  of  General  John- 
ston, and  of  his  services  in  the  Georgia  campaign,  he 
says,  "Certainly  no  more  egregious  blunder  was  possible 
than  that  of  relieving  him  from  the  command  in  front  of 
Atlanta.  If  he  intended  to  fight  there  he  was  entitled  to 
execute  his  plan.  Had  he  abandoned  Atlanta  without  a 
struggle,  his  removal  would  have  met  the  approval  of  the 
army  and  public,  an  approval  which,  under  the  circum- 
stances of  its  action,  the  Richmond  government  failed  to 
receive.  .  .  .  Destiny  willed  that  Davis  and  John- 
ston should  be  brought  into  collision,  and  the  breach  once 
made  was  never  repaired.  Each  misjudged  the  other  to 
the  end." 

General  Johnston  reported  his  entire  loss  in  the  cam- 


lS6  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    1IISSISSIPPIAN, 

paign  till  he  was  removed  at  about  ten  thousand  killed 
and  wounded,  and  forty-seven  hundred  from  all  other 
causes,  chiefly  sickness,  but  this  does  not  include  the 
losses  in  the  cavalry,  for  he  expressly  says,  "For  want  of 
reports  I  am  unable  to  give  the  loss,  or  the  services  of  the 
cavalry,  which  was  less  uuder  my  eye  than  the  rest  of  the 
army."  The  enemy's  loss  he  reports,  from  reports  to 
him,  at  five  times  as  great  as  his  own,  and  this,  I  think, 
was  a  conservative  estimate.  In  fact,  from  Adairsville 
to  the  Chatahoochee  was  one  continued  battle  field,  and  no 
pen  can  adequately  describe  it.  He  transferred  to  Gen- 
eral Hood  forty-one  thousand  infantry  and  artillery  and 
ten  thousand  cavalry  on  the  17th  of  July,  and  we  will  see 
before  I  close  what  was  left  of  it  six  months  later. 

Since  I  began  these  memoirs,  some  friend,  perhaps  the 
author,  has  sent  me  a  neat  pamphlet  published  by  the 
Greenwood  Publishing  Company,  from  Greenwood,  Mis- 
sissippi, entitled  the  "  Recollections  of  'A  Pine  Knot'  in 
the  Lost  Cause. ' ' 

The  author  is  Mr.  J.  M.  Miller,  a  private  in  that 
splendid  regiment,  the  Twentieth  Mississippi,  and  it  is  ex- 
tremely interesting  to  old  soldiers  like  myself,  and  I  wish 
that  more  old  soldiers  from  the  ranks  would  tell  their 
own  story,  as  he  has  done.  As  I  have  quoted  from  some 
of  the  officers  of  high  rank  about  General  Johnston,  so  I 
will  from  what  Mr.  Miller  says,  for  he  was  one  of  the  men 
that  held  the  works  from  Dalton  to  Atlanta,  and  knows 
whereof  he  speaks.  ' '  I  am  not  saying  boastingly,  but  I 
know  something  of  the  Atlanta,  or  hundred  days'  cam- 
paign. I  was  on  every  picket  that  my  time  came,  and 
that  seemed  often  ;  was  in  every  skirmish  and  battle,  and 
did  not  miss  a  roll  call  on  the  campaign.  When  not  in 
the  ranks  I  was  on  the  scout,  many  times  in  the  enemy's 
lines.  Most  likely  there  were  men  that  went  in  droves 
that  did  more  than   I  did,  but  I  know  with  one  accord 


IN   PEACE   AND   WAR.  187 

the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  army  of  Tennessee  held 
General  Johnston  in  highest  esteem,  and  in  whom  they 
had  implicit  confidence. ' '  He  further  says  that  the  re- 
moval of  General  Johnston  ' '  was  as  unexpected  as  a  peal 
of  thunder  from  a  cloudless  sky." 

I  have  already  mentioned  Lieutenant-Colonel  W.  N. 
Brown,  of  this  brave  regiment,  as  going  from  Bolivar 
county  as  captain  of  the  McGehee  Rifles. 

Some  of  the  brave  men  of  this  command  are  still  living 
in  the  county,  honored  and  prominent  citizens.  As  I 
write  I  recall  but  three  names,  W.  C.  Boyd,  J.  L.  Wrenn 
and  W.  N.  Shepherd,  now  living.  But  this  digression  is 
proving  too  long. 

Our  all  day  and  all  night  march  ended  near  Lagrange, 
and  there  Armstrong  halted.  We  soon  learned  that  the 
enemy  had  turned  back  without  attempting  to  reach 
West  Point,  probably  because  he  knew  we  would  be  in  a 
situation  to  cut  off  his  retreat  if  he  got  so  far  away  from 
his  base,  and  after  resting  a  few  days  we  were  ordered 
back  to  the  army  at  Atlanta. 

We  did  not  reach  that  place  till  the  bloody  battle  of  the 
22nd  of  July,  on  the  right  of  our  army,  had  been  fought, 
I  think  about  the  24th. 

But  though  tired  and  worn  out  with  constant  fighting 
and  long  marches,  we  were  not  yet  to  rest,  for  Colonel 
Pinson  was  ordered  to  go  into  Atlanta  and  report  to  Gen- 
eral Hood.  In  passing  through  we  halted  in  front  of 
General  Hood's  quarters,  a  large  two-story  frame  house, 
while  Pinson  went  in  to  see  him. 

When  he  came  out  he  told  me  he  was  ordered  to  move 
through  the  city  to  the  battle  ground  of  the  22nd,  and  on 
that  ground  that  night  we  went  into  camp. 


l88  REMINISCENCES   OF    A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Want  of  confidence  in  General  Hood — His  opinion  of  the  infantry 
of  his  army — His  opinion  of  his  cavalry — Fearful  sights  on 
battle-ground  of  22d  July — Skirmishes  in  cornfield — Ordered 
back  to  left  of  army,  rejoin  Armstrong — Enemy  advances  on 
Lick  Skillet  road — Ordered  with  part  of  regiment  to  extreme 
left — Attack  on  my  command — Driven  back — Advance  of  Gen- 
eral Lee's  corps — Battle  of  28th  of  July — Severe  loss — Federal 
raids  to  our  rear— Fight  with  Kilpatrick — Back  to  the  left  of 
army — General  Sherman's  move  to  our  left — Constant  fighting, 
fall  back  to  Jonesboro — Occupy  trenches,  first  assault  of  enemy 
repulsed — Loss  of  Jonesboro  and  evacuation  of  Atlanta. 

In  the  army,  General  Hood  was  regarded  as  among  the 
"bravest  of  the  brave,"  but  the  same  confidence  was  not 
felt  in  his  ability  to  command  an  army  as  there  was  in 
his  courage  or  ability  to  command  his  corps.  This  a  few 
weeks  or  even  a  few  days  might  have  remedied,  if  he 
could  have  achieved  some  brilliant  success,  or  even  with- 
out this,  if  he  had  known  how  to  inspire  confidence. 
But,  succeeding  as  he  did  a  commander  like  Johnston, 
he  had  a  difficult  task  before  him. 

But,  unfortunately,  General  Hood  seemed  to  have  as 
little  confidence  in  his  men  as  they  had  in  him.  I  quote 
from  his  book,  "Advance  and  Retreat": 

"My  failure,  on  the  20th  and  22d,  to  bring  about  a 
general  pitched  battle  arose  from  the  unfortunate  policy 
pursued  from  Dalton  to  Atlanta,  and  which  had  wrought 
such  demoralization  amid  rank  and  file  as  to  render  the 
men  unreliable  in  battle.  I  cannot  give  a  more  forcible, 
though  homely,  exemplification  of  the  morale  of  the 
troop,  at  that  period,  than  by  comparing  the  army  to  a 


IN    PEACE    AXD    WAR.  1S9 

team  which  has  been  allowed  to  balk  at  every  hill — one 
portion  will  make  strenuous  efforts  to  advance,  while  the 
other  will  refuse  to  move,  and  thus  paralyze  the  exertions 
of  the  first.  Moreovei ,  it  will  work  faultlessly  one  day 
and  stall  the  next.  Xo  reliance  can  be  placed  upon  it  at 
any  stated  time." 

With  the  men  without  that  supreme  confidence  in  their 
commander  which  an  army  must  have  to  insure  success, 
and  with  a  commander  who  believed  his  men  demoralized 
by  the  tactics  of  his  predecessor,  who  had  been  relieved 
only  a  few  days  before,  what  hope  was  there  for  that 
army  ? 

General  Hood  speaks  in  different  terms  of  the  cavalry, 
which  he  compliments  at  the  expense  of  the  infantry.  I 
quote  again  from  his  book: 

"The  severe  handling  by  Wheeler  and  Iverson  of  the 
troops  under  Stoneman  and  McCook,  together  with  Jack- 
son's success,  induced  me  not  to  recall  Wheeler's  four 
thousand  five  hundred  men,  who  were  still  operating 
against  the  railroad  to  Nashville.  I  had,  moreover,  be- 
come convinced  that  our  cavalry  was  able  to  successfully 
compete  with  double  their  number.  Fortunately,  they 
had  not  become  demoralized  upon  the  retreat,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  habit  of  dismounting  and  fighting  at  one 
point  to-day,  then  remounting  and  hastening  in  another 
direction  to  encounter  the  enemy  on  the  morrow." 

But  I  will  cease  to  quote  further  on  this  subject  from 
the  book  written  by  this  brave  bnt  unfortunate  soldier, 
which  ought  never  to  have  been  published,  and,  perhaps, 
would  not  have  been,  if  he  had  lived  a  little  while  longer, 
for,  if  I  recollect  rightly,  it  was  not  published  till  after 
his  death,  and  then  for  the  benefit  of  his  children.  At 
least,  a  re-reading  after  he  had  written  it  would,  I  am 
sure,  have  resulted  in  a  different  tone  towards  the  brave 
men  who  stood  bv  him  so  lovallv,  so  manv  thousands  of 


igo  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

whom  lost  their  lives  under  his  command.  No  braver 
men  ever  gave  battle  than  the  infantry  which  Johnston 
turned  over  to  Hood,  and,  if  they  became  demoralized,  it 
was  after  he  took  the  command;  and,  if  they  were  de- 
moralized, strange  they  fought  so  bravely  on  the  22d 
and  2Sth  of  July.  They  deserve  the  highest  praise,  in- 
stead of  blame,  for  their  gallant  conduct  on  every  field 
where  he  led  them  to  battle,  and  if  they  did  not  always 
win  it  was  because  the  odds  were  too  great.  This  much 
I  have  desired  to  say  in  speaking  of  General  Hood. 

Our  regiment  remained  on  the  battle  ground  of  the 
22d  for  several  days,  and  the  sight  was  a  fearful  one. 
Dead  horses  lay  in  all  directions,  and  the  dead  of  both 
armies  had  been  hastily  buried  in  shallow  trenches,  and 
were  scarcely  covered,  for  here  and  there  arms,  legs  and 
sometimes  heads  could  be  seen,  and  the  whole  face  of  the 
earth  was  covered  with  swarms  of  green  flies,  and  they 
so  annoyed  us  in  camp  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
prepare  and  eat  our  food. 

But  the  position  was  regarded  important,  and  we  had 
to  hold  it.  I  do  not  think  there  was  then  any  enemy  in 
our  front  except  cavalry,  their  infantry  having  been  with- 
drawn, because  they  were  then  extending  their  right 
flank.  With  this  cavalry  we  several  times  came  into 
contact,  but  no  serious  engagement  occurred.  Forage 
was  scarce  and  hard  to  get  and  there  was  a  cornfield  of 
considerable  size  between  us,  and  was  in  fact,  a  sort  of 
neutral  ground,  for  both  sides  foraged  in  it,  and  several 
times  each  side  had  to  fight  for  what  it  could  get.  Our 
men  got  their  share,  but  it  was  not  long  before  the  sup- 
ply gave  out  and  we  had  to  look  elsewhere  for  what  we 
could  get.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  28th,  we  were 
relieved  from  this  unpleasant  position  and  ordered  to  re- 
join our  brigade.  We  found  the  brigade,  as  I  remember, 
on  the  Lick  Skillet  road  (I  recall  the  name  of  the  road  by 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  191 

reading  General  Hood's  report),  a  road  leading  slightly 
northwest  from  Atlanta.  The  brigade  under  Armstrong 
moved  a  few  miles  out  on  this  road,  to  take  a  position  to 
resist  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  who  were,  it  was  said, 
moving  to  occupy  the  road.  The  road  as  I  remember,  as 
far  as  we  went,  was  on  a  ridge  through  an  open  country, 
with  woods  here  and  there  on  each  side  at  a  little  dis- 
tance. Our  regiment  was  in  front,  and  when  we  had 
nearly  reached  a  road  leading  at  right  angles,  running 
down  to  a  valley,  I  wras  ordered  to  take  three  or  four 
companies  and  relieve  a  command  of  Georgia  state  troops 
who  were  posted  in  the  woods  in  this  valley.  At  that 
time  none  of  our  infantry  were  in  sight,  and  there  was  no 
firing  in  front.  I  found  the  Georgia  troops  posted  on 
the  edge  of  a  skirt  of  woods  with  a  small  field  in  front  of 
them,  about  two  hundred  yards  wide,  and  woods  on  the 
other  side  which  extended  I  do  not  know  how  far.  I 
inquired  of  the  officer  in  command  if  he  knew  anything 
of  where  the  enemy  were,  and  he  said  he  did  not,  that 
everything  had  been  quiet,  since  he  had  been  on  that  post. 
He  further  told  me  that  he  had  no  videttes  in  the  woods 
across  the  field,  which  was  very  negligent,  and  as  soon 
as  they  had  left  and  I  could 'make  the  proper  disposition, 
I  sent,  or  rather  started  a  picket  over  the  field.  They 
got  about  half  way  when  they  were  fired  on,  and  before 
they  could  get  back  to  me,  the  woods  on  the  other  side 
were  full  of  bluecoats,  who  seemed  to  be  advancing  in  line 
of  battle  with  skirmishers  in  front,  who  however  halted 
awhile  at  the  fence  on  the  other  side.  We  did  not  yield 
the  post  without  a  show  of  resistance,  for  it  at  once 
occurred  to  me  that  this  was  an  advance  in  force,  for  as 
far  as  I  could  see  to  my  right,  the  enemy  were  advancing, 
and  from  the  noise  madewhich  I  could  hear  at  a  greater  dis- 
tance than  I  could  see,  I  was  sure  there  was  a  large  force. 
It  was  therefore  necessary  to  make  as  gcod  a  fight  as  I 


192  REMINISCENCES    OF   A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

could  to  delay  the  advance,  and  to  give  warning  to  the 
rest  of  the  brigade  which  I  knew  could  not  be  far  from 
me  on  my  right,  though  up  to  that  time  I  heard  no  firing 
in  the  direction  I  supposed  it  to  be.  I  was  on  the  extreme 
left  as  I  knew,  of  any  force  we  had  at  the  time  on  the 
Lick  Skillet  road,  and  as  far  as  I  could  judge  at  the  time 
or  afterwards,  was  engaged  with  the  extreme  right  of  the 
advancing  enemy. 

After  a  brisk  skirmish,  I  soon  found  that  I  had  an 
army  to  contend  with,  and  began  to  withdraw,  but  I  dis- 
covered that  I  could  not  reach  the  country  cross-road  I 
have  spoken  of,  so  as  to  rejoin  the  command  where  I  had 
left  it,  for  the  firing  now  extended  far  to  my  right.  So 
I  fell  slowly  back  through  the  woods,  halting  now  and 
then  to  form  and  return  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  skirmish- 
ers until  I  reached  a  field  near  the  main  road.  In  get- 
ting through  this  field  a  few  men  were  hit,  but  fortunately 
none  badly.  Whether  we  hurt  the  enemy  I  could  not 
tell,  but  as  the  men  were  all  good  shots,  and  withdrew 
with  the  utmost  coolness,  no  doubt  they  suffered  some- 
what more  than  we  did.  I  am  the  more  inclined  to  think 
so  from  the  care  with  which  they  advanced.  On  the 
crest  of  the  hill  in  my  rear  as  I  fell  back,  and  right  on  the 
main  road,  was  a  farm  house  and  buildings.  Here  I 
made  another  halt,  dismounting  the  men  and  sending  the 
horses  still  farther  back  across  another  field  to  some 
woods  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred 
yards  away.  The  enemy  now  had  to  approach  across  an 
open  field  while  we  were  well  sheltered  for  the  fight.  They 
came  in  great  force  and  must  have  lost  considerably  as 
they  were  exposed,  while  though  their  fire  was  heavy, 
we  lost  none  at  this  stand.  I  knew  I  could  not  with- 
stand their  assault,  as  a  full  brigade  of  infantry  at  the  very 
least,  whom  I  saw  plainly,  were  advancing  on  us,  and 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


193 


therefore  again  withdrew  my  little  force    to  the  woods 
where  our  horses  were. 

All  this  time  I  could  hear  nothing  of  the  balance  of  the 
brigade,  except  I  knew  from  the  firing  they  were  en- 
gaged, but  was  completely  cut  off  from  it.  After  remount- 
ing and  forming  in  the  woods,  I  was  somewhat  at  a  loss 
to  know  what  to  do,  for  the  enemy  had  gained  the  road  at 
the  farm-houses,  and  I  thought  it  likely  were  already  in- 
trenched, for  the}'  were  as  quick  at  this  as  our  men,  and 
it  was  the  work  of  but  a  little  while  to  throw  up  works 
which,  though  temporary,  were  yet  formidable  with 
brave  men  behind  them. 

While  I  was  considering,  I  heard  a  noise  behind  me  in 
the  woods,  and  sending  back  to  see  what  it  was  found  it 
was  a  brigade  of  our  infantry,  who  had  formed  and  were 
advancing.  I  do  not  know  whose  brigade  it  was,  I  have 
forgotten;  but  it  was  the  left  of  General  S.  D.  Lee's  corps. 
He  had  but  a  short  time  before  been  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  General  Hood's  old  corps. 

I  got  my  cavalry  out  of  the  way,  more  to  the  left,  and 
moved  forward  with  the  infantry,  then  the  extreme  left, 
till  they  had  driven  the  enemy  from  the  houses  and  re- 
taken the  road.  It  was  late  before  this  was  done,  and  I 
went  in  search  of  my  own  command,  which  I  did  not  find 
till  late  at  night.  The  men  who  had  been  with  the  main 
body  of  the  brigade  were  loud  in  the  praise  of  the  gal- 
lantry of  Armstrong,  Starke  and  Pinson,  who  had  been 
most  exposed,  and  the  chief  loss  of  the  brigade,  some 
fifty  or  sixty  killed  and  wounded,  was  with  them,  for  in 
the  companies  with  me  there  were  about  half  a  dozen 
wounded,  and  none  fatally.  This  much  I  saw  and  know 
of  the  battle  of  the  28th,  which  was  brought  on  by  this 
attack  on  me,  or  commenced  with  that  attack.  Conserva- 
tive estimates  at  the  time  put  the  entire  loss  to  the  army 
at  between  four  and  five  thousand  men  killed  and 
13 


194  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

wounded,  though  this  may  be  greater  than  it  was.  It  is 
certain  the  field  was  hotly  contested,  and  that  the  battle 
lasted  till  dark.  We  held  the  road.  General  Lee  in  his 
report  of  this  battle  only  says  of  the  cavalry,  "I  soon 
found  that  the  enemy  had  gained  the  road,  and  was 
gradually  driving  back  our  cavalry. ' '  He  says  the  loss 
in  some  of  the  brigades  was  heavy,  but  does  not  give  the 
number. 

While  these  movements  were  in  progress  in  and  around 
Atlanta,  determined  efforts  were  made  by  the  federal  cav- 
alry, in  large  force  and  in  separate  columns,  to  cut  the 
railroads  to  West  Point  and  to  Macon,  but  these  were  de- 
feated by  Generals  Wheeler  and  Jackson,  with  two  brig- 
ades (Ross'  and  Harrison's)  of  his  division,  who  ran  the 
enemy  to  bay  near  Newnan  and  captured  a  large  number 
and  dispersed  the  balance.  Armstrong's  brigade  was  left 
near  the  army  and  did  not  take  part  iu  this  brilliant 
achievement,  having  its  own  fights  and  duties,  as  related. 
After  the  battle  of  the  28th  Atlanta  was  regularly  be- 
sieged, and  this  lasted  about  a  month,  during  which 
Armstrong's  brigade  was  on  the  left  of  our  army  and 
north  of  the  West  Point  railroad,  watching  the  enemy 
and  engaged  in  almost  constant  skirmishing,  to  protect 
this  road  and  prevent  a  raid  to  the  rear. 

General  Wheeler  had  been  sent  north  to  cut  and  de- 
stroy the  enemy's  communications,  leaving  General 
Jackson's  division,  composed  of  three  brigades,  to  guard 
the  rear  and  flanks  of  the  army. 

This  condition  of  things  lasted  several  weeks,  when 
General  Sherman,  taking  advantage  of  Wheeler's  ab- 
sence, made  another  attempt  to  cut  the  Macon  railroad, 
sending  a  strong  detachment  of  cavalry  under  General 
Kilpatrick,  who  passed  rapidly  around  our  left,  General 
Jackson  in  swift  pursuit  with  two  brigades,  while  we  also 
with    most   of   our   brigade   followed.     The  enemy  had 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  1 95 

crossed  the  railroad  at  Jonesboro  and  burned  the  de- 
pot, besides  tearing  up  some  of  the  road,  before  he  was 
overtaken.  General  Ross  had  thrown  his  brigade  across 
his  path  and  our  brigade  was  pressing  rapidly  in  his  rear, 
when  Kilpatrick  charged  Ross'  brigade  and  succeeded  in 
getting  through,  with  considerable  loss.  But  Armstrong 
was  close  behind,  and  overtook  and  brought  him  to  bay. 

Armstrong  ordered  our  regiment  to  dismount  and 
attack,  which  Pinson  promptly  did.  It  was  a  very  hot 
day  in  August,  I  think  about  the  21st,  and  we  drove  the 
enemy  for  about  a  mile,  in  the  face  of  a  hot  fire,  losing 
twenty-five  or  thirty  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  inflict- 
ing severe  loss  on  them,  but  they  succeeded  in  reaching 
a  strong  position  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  where  their  rear 
guard  held  us  at  bay  for  some  time,  and  before  Armstrong 
could  bring  up  the  balance  of  the  brigade  they  also  got 
off,  for  our  horses  were  now  far  behind  us.  They  left 
their  dead  on  the  field.  They  evidently  had  but  one  ob- 
ject in  view  now,  and  that  was  to  escape  and  rejoin  their 
army  to  the  right  of  Atlanta. 

Talk  about  thirst!  I  felt  it  that  day  as  I  never  did  be- 
fore or  since;  and  coming  to  a  small,  sluggish  stream, 
over  which  the  entire  federal  command  had  crossed,  and 
the  water  of  which  was  almost  thick  enough  to  cut  with 
a  knife,  those  of  us  crossing  in  the  road  stooped  and 
scooping  the  stuff  up  in  our  hands,  I  thought  it  the 
sweetest  morsel  I  ever  tasted.  Beyond  this  stream  we 
did  not  pursue  much  further,  and  it  being  late  we  were 
ordered  back  to  camp  and  rest.  That  night,  I  remember, 
every  man  of  the  command  had  coffee  in  abundance,  for 
so  closely  had  we  pursued  that  the  enemy  had  thrown 
away  many  haversacks  and  bags  of  rations  they  had. 
They  had  no  doubt  got  back  to  their  command,  and  we 
were  speedily  ordered  back  also,  as  Sherman  had  again 
commenced  in  earnest  a  flank  movement  around  our  left, 


196  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

and  which  was  to  be  successful  and  result  in  the  capture 
of  Atlanta. 

The  railroad  near  and  at  Jonesboro  was  speedily  re- 
paired so  that  trains  were  running  into  Atlanta  in  a  few 
days,  and  before  it  was  evacuated.  The  truth  was  that 
all  the  damage  by  either  side  to  railroads,  during  the 
whole  war,  made  only  temporary  interruptions,  and  con- 
vinced me  that  when  an  army  of  any  strength  got  pos- 
session of  a  railroad  they  could  hold  it  and  quickly  repair 
any  damage  done  to  it.  It  is  in  fact  a  source  of  strength 
to  a  strong  invading  force  and  a  source  of  weakness  to 
the  country  invaded  by  such  a  force. 

Our  brigade  was  back  to  its  old  position  on  the  left  of 
the  army  by  the  25th  or  on  that  day,  for  that  night,  as 
stated  b5T  General  Hood,  the  enemy  abandoned  his  works 
in  front  of  Atlanta,  or  most  of  them,  and  commenced  his 
move  around  our  left  in  earnest,  his  abandoned  works  be- 
ing occupied  by  our  troops  the  next  day. 

General  Hood  says:  "This  movement  of  the  enemy 
gave  rise  to  many  idle  rumors  in  relation  to  its  object." 

One  of  the  rumors,  if  it  was  a  rumor  which  was  not  be- 
lieved at  the  time,  was  that  General  Hood  said  that  the 
enemy  were  preparing  to  retreat;  that  they  had  estab- 
lished a  depot  of  supplies  at  Baker's  Ferry,  and  would 
cross  the  Chatahoochee  at  that  place.  He  himself  only 
says  after  the  statement  just  quoted,  about  the  "idle 
rumors,"  that,  "I  felt  confident  that  their  plan  would 
soon  be  developed;  accordingly,  orders  were  issued  to 
corp  commanders  to  send  out  scouts  in  their  front,  and  to 
keep  army  headquarters  fully  advised  of  the  slightest 
change  in  the  enemy's  position;  to  issue  three  days'  ra- 
tions, and  to  be  in  readiness  to  move  at  a  moment's  warn- 
ing. Instructions  were  likewise  sent  to  General  Arm- 
strong, commanding  the  cavalry  in  the  vicinity  of  the  West 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


I97 


Point  railroad,  to  be  most  active  in  securing  all  possible 
information  in  regard  to  the  operations  of  the  enemy." 

The  caution  to  Armstrong  to  be  active  was  superfluous, 
for  the  cavalry  had  no  more  active  and  daring,  and  at  the 
same  time  careful,  commander.  He  was  all  the  time  in 
touch  with  the  enemy  and  at  times  the  skirmishing  was 
heavy.  As  the  enemy  extended  his  line  to  our  left  he 
always  found  Armstrong  in  his  front.  One  day  I  re- 
member we  occupied  a  position  on  a  rocky  hill,  with  an 
open  view  of  a  half  mile  or  more  across  a  valley  which  was 
cleared  and  in  cultivation.  On  the  opposite  ridge  was 
the  road  the  enemy  were  pursuing,  and  for  hours  we 
stood,  looking  helplessly  on,  while  thousands  upon  thous- 
ands moved  swiftly  by.  The  whole  brigade  was  not  at 
this  particular  point,  it  may  be  only  our  regiment,  but 
the  scene  was  not  one  to  be  forgotten.  We  did  not  have 
our  battery  with  us  and  what  shots  were  exchanged  were 
at  long  range  with  but  little  damage.  I  wished  then 
that  one  of  our  army  corps  could  have  been  with  us. 
Later,  I  believe  on  that  same  day,  or  it  may  more  likely 
have  been  the  next,  while  skirmishing  with  the  enemy  in 
a  dense  woods  with  a  part  of  the  regiment,  General  Cle- 
burne rode  up  the  road  to  where  I  was. 

Personally  I  did  not  know  him,  though  I  knew  him  by 
sight,  and  in  response  to  his  inquiries  gave  him  what  in- 
formation I  had.  He  turned  and  rode  slowly  away,  and 
I  never  saw  him  again.  His  death  at  the  battle  of  Frank- 
lin a  few  months  later,  where  he  fell  bravely  fighting  for 
the  confederacy,  is  one  of  the  treasured  memories  of  the 
war,  among  his  now  few  surviving  comrades,  and  one  of 
the  glories  of  the  war  to  the  whole  country,  which  now 
happily  knows  no  north,  no  south,  no  east  nor  west. 
Slowly  our  brigade  was  forced  further  and  further  to  the 
left,  till  late  on  the  evening  of  the  2Sth  of  August,  at  or 
near  Fairburn  on  the  West  Point  railroad,  we  were  forced 


1 98  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

across  the  road,  and  that  night  General  Armstrong  re- 
ported to  General  Hood  that  the  enemy  had  reached  and 
crossed,  or  would,  early  next  morning  with  the  whole 
force  engaged  in  this  movement,  cross.  That  night  I 
rode  after  dark  had  put  an  end  to  our  fighting,  to  Arm- 
strong's headquarters,  and  he  told  me  that  in  the  various 
skirmishes  of  the  day  by  the  different  regiments  of  his 
command,  that  some  prisoners  had  been  captured  from 
three  different  army  corps  of  the  federal  army,  but  I  do 
not  now  recall  what  ones  they  were.  My  recollection  is 
that  Sherman  had  four  army  corps,  so  that  the  bulk 
of  his  army  was  engaged  in  this  movement.  Of  this 
movement  and  the  force,  General  Hood  was  fully  ap- 
prised by  Armstrong,  for  he  says,  "Early  the  following 
morning  (that  is  the  28th,  for  he  had  just  been  speaking 
of  the  27th),  the  enemy  was  reported  by  General  Arm- 
strong in  large  force  at  Fairburn,  on  the  West  Point 
road."  My  recollection  is  that  our  brigade  was  not 
finally  forced  across  the  road  till  the  night  of  the  28th. 

General  Hood  was  now  aware  of  the  purpose  of  Sher- 
man, for  he  says,  "It  became  at  once  evident  that  General 
Sherman  was  moving  with  his  main  body  to  destroy  the 
Macon  road,  and  that  the  fate  of  Atlanta  depended  upon 
our  ability  to  beat  this  movement."  This  was  patent  to 
our  brigade  at  least,  but  the  question  which  General 
Hood  had  to  meet  was  how  this  movement  was  to  be  de- 
feated, and  as  General  Hood  says  upon  his  ability  to  do 
this  depended  the  fate  of  Atlanta.  Obviously  it  would 
be  improper  for  me  to  criticise  General  Hood's  manage- 
ment of  the  campaign  at  this  time,  but  it  is  not,  I  think, 
improper  to  give  the  position  and  forces  of  the  two  armies 
at  the  time  Sherman  crossed  the  West  Point  railroad. 
Our  army,  according  to  General  Hood' s  estimate  a  few  days 
later,  infantry  and  artillery,  then  at  Atlanta,  must  have  been 
about  thirty-five  thousand  men.     Of  his  cavalry  at  that 


IN   PEACE   AND   WAR. 


199 


time  General  Wheeler  with  forty-five  hundred  men,  was 
absent  on  his  gallant  but  useless  raid  towards  Chatta- 
nooga, useless  so  far  as  any  permanent  good  was  done. 
In  Sherman's  immediate  front  at  Fairburn,  and  prepared 
to  resist  his  march  to  Jonesboro  as  well  as  it  could,  was 
Armstrong's  brigade,  about  fifteen  hundred  effective 
men. 

General  Jackson,  with  the  other  two  brigades  of  his 
division,  was  busy  and  fighting  elsewhere.  From  Fair- 
burn  to  Atlanta  was  about  twenty  miles,  and  to  Jones- 
boro about  ten  miles,  which  place  was  the  objective  point 
of  General  Sherman's  movement. 

Having  crossed  the  West  Point  railroad,  General  Sher- 
man's advance  to  Jonesboro  was  slow.  He  began  to 
move,  however,  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  and  Arm- 
strong fell  slowly  back  before  him. 

The  country  between  Fairburn  and  Jonesboro,  as  I  re- 
member it,  was  an  open  country,  offering  but  few  desir- 
able places  for  defense,  but  Armstrong  availed  himself  of 
every  chance,  and  every  few  miles  there  was  a  halt  and 
fight,  but  two  army  corps  were  advancing,  according  to 
General  Hood's  advices,  and  no  doubt  this  was  correct, 
and  a  cavalry  brigade  could  offer  but  little  resistance, 
certainly  not  an  effectual  one.  But  we  did  what  we 
could.  I  think  on  the  morning  of  the  30th  we  crossed 
the  Flint  river,  a  stream  dignified  by  that  name,  and 
which  was  not  far  from  Jonesboro.  General  Hood  says, 
' '  Reynolds'  and  Lewis'  brigades  were  dispatched  to 
Jonesboro  to  co-operate  with  Armstrong."  At  Flint 
river  we  made  an  unavailing  stand,  and  the  enemy  crossed 
it  about  six  p.  11.  that  day.  To  quote  from  General 
Hood,  "As  General  Armstrong  had  already  foreseen,  a 
federal  corps  crossed  Flint  river  at  about  six  p.  at.  near 
Jonesboro,  and  made  an  attack  upon  Lewis'  brigade, 
which  was  gallantly  repulsed."     When  we  reached  Jones- 


200  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    illSSISSIPPIAN, 

boro  we  fouud  this  brigade  in  the  trenches,  and  as  there 
were  some  which  were  unoccupied,  we  were  at  once  dis- 
mounted and  occupied  them,  and  took  part  in  this  re- 
pulse of  the  enemy.  We  remained  in  the  trenches  till 
late  at  night,  when  another  brigade  of  infantry  arrived, 
probably  Reynolds',  and  relieved  us.  The  next  day  the 
enemy  gained  our  works,  and  we  were  compelled  to  fall 
back,  the  enemy  strongly  intrenching  at  Jonesboro,  Gen- 
eral Hardee,  arriving  too  late,  made  an  assault  with  a  loss 
of  fourteen  hundred  men  killed  and  wounded,  without 
success,  upon  their  works.  General  Lee's  corps  arrived  a 
little  later,  but  that  night,  I  believe,  was  recalled  a  part 
of  the  way  back  to  cover  General  Hood's  retreat  from 
Atlanta.  Had  these  two  corps  been  twelve  hours  sooner 
the  result  at  Jonesboro  might  have  been  different. 

The  whole  army  united  at  Lovejoy  station,  a  short 
distance  south  of  Jonesboro,  and  Sherman  withdrew  his 
army  to  Atlanta. 

The  loss  in  Armstrong's  brigade,  from  the  time  we  got 
back  to  the  West  Point  railroad  from  our  fight  with  Kil- 
patrick,  in  killed  and  wounded  was  about,  as  well  as  I 
remember,  one  hundred,  nearly  equally  distributed  be- 
tween the  regiments,  but  no  official  report,  as  usual,  was 
made  of  this  loss,  or  if  made  I  have  never  seen  it. 

Atlanta  had  fallen,  and  our  loss  in  men  and  stores  could 
never  be  replaced,  but  I  will  not  permit  myself  to  indulge 
in  criticism  of  any  one  on  this  great  disaster  to  the  con- 
federacy. No  doubt  it  was  our  fate,  but  it  was  none  the 
less  bitter,  and  if  General  Johnston  had  not  been  removed, 
perhaps  it  would  only  have  prolonged  the  desperate  strug- 
gle, with  a  like  result  at  last.  The  historian  who  is  to 
come  must  and  will,  without  fear  or  favor,  fix  the  re- 
sponsibility where  it  belongs. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  201 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Some  reflections  on  loss  of  Atlanta — President  Davis  visits  camp — 
Ordered  by  General  Jackson  to  take  command  disabled  horses 
and  men — Ordered  to  reinforce  General  Tyler  at  West  Point — 
Orders  and  letter  from  General  Jackson — Ordered  to  Mississippi 
with  my  command — Incidents  of  the  march — Sick  in  hospital 
and  leave  of  absence — At  home  again — Met  a  gold  bug  on  the 
road. 

The  fall  of  Atlanta  was  the  second  great  disaster  to  the 
confederate  arms  in  the  west,  east  of  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  second  only  in  its  results  to  the  loss  of  Vicks- 
burg. 

General  Hood  indeed  says:  "I  was  not  so  much  pained 
by  the  fall  of  Atlanta  as  by  the  recurrence  of  retreat, 
which  I  full  well  knew  would  demoralize  the  army  and 
renew  desertions."  It  was  not  so  much  the  retreat 
which  would  demoralize  the  army  as  it  was  the  loss  of 
Atlanta,  for  everywhere  through  the  confederacy  when 
its  loss  was  known,  it  discouraged  the  people,  and  this 
could  not  be  concealed  from  the  army,  and  the  effect 
naturally  was  to  demoralize  those  in  the  army  who  were 
not  actuated  by  the  highest  motives  of  patriotism,  and 
the  sternest  purpose  to  fight  it  out  to  the  end.  Many 
such  there  were,  and  those  of  the  "baser  sort"  who  com- 
posed the  deserters,  ought  not  to  have  been  considered, 
and  were  comparatively  few.  An  orderly  retreat  from 
Atlanta  without  loss  of  stores  or  munitions  of  war,  would 
in  itself  have  been  a  disaster,  but  not  an  overwhelming 
one,  for  we  would  have  had  the  army,  with  its  morale 
preserved,  and  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea  would  have 
been  impossible. 


202  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

The  army  had  in  fact  been  cut  in  two,  and  exposed  to 
an  attack  from  the  two  army  corps  of  the  federals  at 
Jonesboro,  as  it  passed  on  its  way  to  Lovejoy  station, 
near  which  General  Hardee  had  intrenched  his  corps,  and 
General  Hood  himself  says:  "I  have  often  thought  it 
strange  that  Sherman  should  have  occupied  himself  with 
attacking  Hardee's  intrenched  position  instead  of  falling 
upon  our  main  body  on  the  march  round  to  his  rear."  It 
may  be  that  Sherman  thought  it  strange  that  General 
Hood  did  not  attack  him  at  Fairburn,  or  on  his  way 
there,  instead  of  occupying  his  abandoned  works  with 
two  army  corps  the  day  after  they  were  abandoned.  Cer- 
tainly he  had  the  chance,  and  was  informed  as  he  says  of 
the  movement  of  the  enemy  by  Armstrong,  and  this  was 
constantly  done  as  I  know.  Before  that  he  had  ordered 
the  commanders  of  his  army  corps  to  be  in  readiness,  to 
have  three  days'  rations  issued,  and  yet  not  a  man  was 
moved  from  Atlanta,  till  the  enemy  was  at  the  gates  (so 
to  speak)  of  Jonesboro.  These  are  facts  which  cannot 
be  denied,  and  not  criticism. 

But  these  reflections  are  vain  and  perhaps  ought  not  to 
be  indulged  in,  but  I  find  it  impossible  to  refrain  from 
doing  so. 

President  Davis  visited  the  army  soon  after  Gen- 
eral Sherman  withdrew  into  Atlanta,  the  headquarters 
of  the  army  being  then  at  Palmetto,  on  the  West  Point 
railroad,  to  which  point  it  had  moved  in  pursuance  of 
General  Hood's  plan  to  move  into  Tennessee,  of  which 
no  secret  was  made.  I  did  not  see  Mr.  Davis;  there  was 
no  formal  review  even  of  the  infantry,  though  General 
Hood  says  they  rode  through  the  camp  or  part  of  it  to- 
gether, and  in  some  places  he  was  received  with  enthu- 
siasm and  by  some  with  cries,  or  to  use  his  own  lan- 
guage, "were  seemingly  dissatisfied,  and  inclined  to  cry 
out,  'give  us  General  Johnston.'  "     The  cavalry  at  the 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


203 


time  was  busy  watching  the  enemy,  towards  Fairburn,  as 
I  remember,  between  the  army  and  Atlanta. 

General  Sherman  was  resting  quietly  on  the  laurels  he 
had  won  and  in  Atlanta,  and  did  not  seem  inclined  to 
molest  us,  so  that  our  cavalry7  also  was  quiet,  though  vigi- 
lantly watching  the  enemy  and  ready  to  move  with  the 
army. 

This  was  the  situation  when,  on  the  morning  of  the 
25th  of  September,  the  following  order  was  handed  to  me: 

Headquarters  Jackson's  Cavalry  Division, 
In  the  Field,  September  24th,  i86j.. 

Circular. — A  camp  for  convalescent  horses  is  hereby 
ordered  to  be  established  near  Newnan,  for  the  disabled 
horses  of  the  division,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mont- 
gomery of  the  First  Mississippi  regiment,  Armstrong's 
brigade,  as  commandant  of  the  camp,  and  Captain  Sims, 
quartermaster  Ross'  brigade,  as  quartermaster,  selected 
from  the  division  for  their  energy  and  force  of  character. 

One  officer  from  each  brigade  not  to  exceed  the  grade 
of  captain  to  be  selected  by  the  brigade  commander,  to 
have  immediate  charge  of  the  men  and  horses  from  his 
brigade,  will  be  sent  to  this  camp  as  assistant  to  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Montgomery.  One  man  to  every  six  horses 
will  be  allowed  to  go  to  this  camp,  to  be  used  as  guards, 
and  to  perform  such  other  duties  as  may  be  required. 
The  quartermaster  will  employ  negroes  to  assist  in  wash- 
ing the  sore-back  horses  and  in  taking  care  of  them. 

Each  brigade  will  furnish  one  wagon  to  every  hundred 
horses,  and  one  wagon  to  every  fractional  number  over 
seventy.  Before  horses  are  sent  to  this  camp  they  must 
be  inspected  by  the  brigade  inspector.  Brigade  inspectors 
will  report  weekly  to  division  inspector  the  number  of 
horses  sent  to  this  camp.  The  officer  from  each  brigade 
will  send  weekly  reports  to  his  brigade  commander.    The 


204  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

commandant  of  the  camp  will  make  weekly  reports  to 
these  headquarters,  addressed  to  the  division  inspector. 
The  dismounted  men  of  the  brigades  will  be  organized 
under  competent  officers,  one  to  ever}*  thirty  men,  and 
report  to  Captain  Sykes,  assistant  inspector-general,  at 
these  headquarters.  Brigade  commanders,  through  their 
inspectors,  will  have  this  order  carried  into  effect  at  once. 
No  horses  except  those  belonging  to  officers  will  be 
allowed  to  be  led  with  the  command,  or  kept  with  the 
command  in  the  field.  By  command  of 

Brigadier-General  W.  H.  Jackson. 

E.  T.  Sykes,  A.  A.  Gen'l. 
To  Lieutenant-Colonel  Montgomery, 

First  Mississippi  Regiment,   through  Brigadier- General 

Armstrong,  commanding  brigade. 

This  order  was  an  unpleasant  surprise  to  me,  for  my 
earnest  wish  was  to  remain  with  the  regiment  and  take 
part  in  the  campaign  just  commencing.  I  knew  the  im- 
portance of  the  duties  to  which  I  was  assigned,  but  I 
knew  also  the  difficulties  which  would  confront  me  with 
any  number  of  men,  certain  to  be  more  than  contemplated 
by  the  order,  and  removed  for  the  time  from  their  regular 
organizations  in  the  field.  I  went  to  see  General  Jack- 
son, and  requested  him  not  to  impose  this  unpleasant 
duty  on  me,  but  to  select  some  one  else  and  permit  me  to 
go  with  the  division.  He  said,  in  reply,  that  the  neces- 
sity for  the  camp  was  imperative;  he  was  about  to  move 
with  the  army  into  Tennessee;  communication  would  be 
difficult  between  us;  that  it  was  necessary  to  have  an 
officer  of  at  least  my  rank  in  command  of  the  camp;  that 
he  knew  the  command  was  an  unpleasant  one,  but  it  was 
one  of  great  importance;  that  he  had  well  considered  the 
matter,  and  he  could  not  relieve  me  from  it. 

I  then   asked  him  to  give  me  one  company  from  my 


IN    PEACE    AXD    WAR. 


205 


own  regiment,  so  that  I  would  have  at  least  one  com- 
pletely organized  command  upon  which  I  could  rely.  To 
this  he  willingly  consented,  and  ordered  Colonel  Pinson  to 
assign  me  a  company;  and,  in  obedience  to  the  order, 
Colonel  Pinson  ordered  Captain  T.  B.  Kennedy,  of  the 
Carrol  county  company,  to  report  to  me  with  his  com- 
pany. There  was  none  better  in  the  regiment,  where  all 
were  good.  I  took  my  leave  of  the  regiment  and  bri- 
gade with  regret,  for,  though  I  did  not  anticipate  a  pro- 
longed absence,  I  knew,  before  we  met  again,  that  when 
we  did  many  would  be  missing  who  I  would  never  see 
again  in  this  world. 

I  moved  about  the  26th  of  September,  with  my  guard, 
to  a  point  west  of  Xewnan,  and  there  organized  my 
camp. 

General  Jackson  crossed  the  Chattahoochee  on  the  28th, 
and  was  speedily  followed  by  the  army,  except  the 
command  I  had  and,  I  believe,  General  Ferguson's  bri- 
grade,  which  was  left  behind. 

I  knew  Captain  Sims,  of  the  Texas  brigade  assigned 
to  me,  and  he  was  a  very  efficient  man  for  the  position 
of  quartermaster,  and  together  we  soon  had  the  camp  in 
good  shape.  I  had  a  lieutenant  in  charge  of  the  men 
and  horses  of  each  regiment,  and  from  Ross',  I  remem- 
ber, there  were  two,  and  all  I  needed  was  a  good  adju- 
tant, who  I  found  in  Charles  C.  Farrar,  of  the  Bolivar 
troop,  who  was  in  hospital  at  Lagrange,  near  by,  and 
about  convalescent:  so,  instead  of  sending  him  forward 
to  join  the  division,  as  I  did  when  men  and  horses  wTere 
fit,  I  kept  him  with  me,  and  he  made  a  good  officer.  I 
have  a  copy  of  my  first  report,  which  shows  that  on  the 
8th  day  of  October  I  had  in  my  camp  iS  officers,  597 
men  and  984  horses;  but,  as  fast  as  possible,  I  sent  the 
men  and  horses  to  their  commands. 


206  REMINISCENCES   OF   A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 

About  the  2d  of  October,  I  received  from  General 
Jackson,  by  courier,  the  following  order: 

Headquarters  Jackson's  Cavalry  Division, 

In  the  Field,  October  1,  iS6j,  12:30  p.  m. 
Colonel — General  Jackson  directs  that  you  immedi- 
ately move  your  camp  to  the  vicinity  of  West  Point,  and, 
in  case  the  enemy  press  down  there,  you  will  send  the 
horses  to  some  safe  place  across  the  river  (the  Chatta- 
hoochee), and  report  to  General  Tyler,  to  assist  in  pro- 
tecting the  place.  Lose  no  time  in  the  execution  of  this 
order.  Very  respectfully,  etc., 

E.  T.  Sykes,  A.  A.  G. 
Lieut-Col.  F.  A.  Montgomery, 

Commanding  Camp  Disabled  Horses, 
Jackson  s  Cavalry  Division. 

I  lost  no  time  in  obeying  the  order,  and,  after  going 
into  camp,  went  early  next  morning  to  report  in  person 
to  General  Tyler.  I  found  General  Tyler  to  be  holding 
the  place  with  a  small  force,  but  he  was  strongly  fortified, 
and  I  concerted  with  him  as  to  what  force  I  could  bring, 
and  where  I  should  send  my  horses  in  the  event  the  place 
should  be  attacked,  of  which  there  were  rumors  and 
some  apprehension.  West  Point  is  about  eighty  miles, 
perhaps  a  little  more,  west  of  Atlanta,  and  the  antici- 
pated attack  was  from  that  place,  which  General  Sher- 
man had  not  yet  abandoned.  The  railroad  was  open 
west  as  far  as  Meridian,  Mississippi,  I  think,  also  to 
Jackson,  and  it  was  desirable  to  hold  it  as  long  as  possi- 
ble. My  recollection  is  that  General  Tyler  had  before 
that  time  been  wounded  and  unfit  for  active  duty  in  the 
field,  hence  had  been  placed  in  command  of  this  post. 

The  apprehended  attack  was  not  made,  nor  any  demon- 
stration towards  the  place,  and  after  remaining  a  few  days 


IN    PEACE    AMD   WAR.  '  207 

on  the  side  of  the  river  near  West  Point,  I  crossed  the 
Chattahoochee,  and  established  ray  camp  near  Lafayette, 
in  Alabama,  but  within  easy  reach  of  West  Point  if  Gen- 
eral Tyler  should  at  any  time  desire  what  force  I  could 
bring  to  him;  and  while  I  remained  in  that  vicinity  was 
in  constant  communication  with  him,  going  several  times 
to  see  him.  This  brave  soldier  was  the  next  year  killed, 
in  defense  of  his  post,  refusing  to  surrender  to,  I  believe, 
General  Wilson,  or  a  part  of  his  force  on  its  way  to  Ma- 
con after  the  fall  of  Selma. 

While  camped  near  Lafayette  I  received  the  subjoined 
communication  from  General  Tyler: 

Headquarters  Military  Post, 
West  Point,  October  10th,  i86j_. 
Sergeant  P.  M.  Rowland  will  proceed  at  once  to  the 
camp  of  Lieutenant-Colonel   Montgomery,  in    command 
recruiting  camp,  vicinity  of  Lafayette,  of  Jackson's  cav- 
alry, with  Mr.  Waller  and  W.  Q.  Adams,   turning  them 
over  to  Colonel  Montgomery  to  be  mustered  into  service 
Confederate  States  in  Eighth  Confederate  cavalry  regi- 
ment.    Lieutenant-Colonel  Montgomery  will  forward,  by 
first  opportunity,  Mr.  Waller  and  Adams  to  the  regiment 
which  they  wish  to  join  (Eighth  Confederate  cavalry). 
By  order,  R.  C.  Tyler,  Brigadier-General. 

I  have  no  personal  recollection  of  this  incident  or  of 
these  gentlemen;  no  doubt  they  reached  their  regiment, 
and  I  hope  and  expect  they  made  brave  soldiers  in  those 
dark  days  of  the  confederacy. 

Little  occurred  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  camp;  no 
enemy  near,  and  only  now  and  then  some  disabled  men 
or  horses  from  the  front,  or  the  dispatch  of  convalescent 
men  and  horses  to  the  front. 

A  day  or  two  after  I  got  to  Lafayette  a  detail  sent  out 


2oS  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

to  get  beef  cattle  reported  to  me  that  they  had  found  a 
man  belonging  to  the  Bolivar  troop,  whose  name  was  Dan 
Davidson,  living  with  a  pretty  little  wife  about  seven  or 
eight  miles  from  camp.  I  knew  he  had  been  absent  from 
his  company  for  several  months,  but  no  one  knew  whether 
he  was  a  straggler  or  a  prisoner.  I  sent  and  had  him  ar- 
rested and  brought  into  camp,  but  he  had  such  a  plausible 
story  of  having  been  sick  and  nursed  at  the  house  where 
he  found  his  bride,  and  his  intention  to  rejoin  his  corn- 
command  as  soon  as  he  knew  where  it  was,  that  I  was 
fain  to  admit  his  excuse,  and  turned  him  over  to  the 
officer  in  charge  of  the  men  of  the  brigade,  to  be  sent  with 
the  next  detail  to  the  front.  He  had  only  been  married 
a  week  or  two,  and  begged  hard  to  be  allowed  to  go  back 
to  his  wife,  but  he  deserved  punishment,  and  I  would  not 
permit  it.  In  a  few  days,  however,  I  relented  so  far  as 
to  detail  him  to  get  beef  cattle  for  the  command  in  the 
neighborhood  of  his  wife's  home,  and  kept  him  at  this 
while  I  remained  in  that  section  of  the  country. 

While  this  was  going  on  I  got  one  day  a  letter  from  his 
wife,  saying  she  heard  that  he  had  a  wife  living  in  Texas, 
and  asking  me  if  it  were  so.  I  had  never  heard  of  it  be- 
fore, but  on  inquiry  of  some  men  of  his  company  with 
me,  I  learned  it  was  true;  he  had  been  married  when 
about  eighteen  years  old,  and  so  far  as  was  known  his 
wife  was  living  in  Texas,  but  that  they  had  been  divorced. 
I  wrote  his  wife  this,  and  I  suppose  it  was  all  right,  as  I 
heard  nothing  further  about  it.  I  know  that  after  the 
war  was  over  he  passed  through  Bolivar  county  with  his 
young  wife  on  his  way  to  Texas,  where  both  were  still 
living  and  doing  well  a  few  years  ago,  as  he  wrote  me 
from  that  state. 

I  received  from  General  Jackson  the  following  order  a 
few  davs  after  its  date: 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  20g 

Headquarters  Jackson's  Cavalry  Division, 
Cave  Springs,  October  ijt/i,  1864.. 
Special  Order  No.  ~6. — Lieutenant -Colonel  Montgom- 
ery will  make  an  immediate  and  thorough,  inspection  of 
his  camp,  and  all  horses  found  to  be  permanently  disabled, 
or  not  likely  to  be  serviceable  in  three  months,  will  be 
disposed  of  by  him.  The  government  must  not  be  taxed 
with  their  support.  By  order  of 

Brigadier-General  W.  H.  Jackson. 

E.  T.  Sykes,  A.  A.  Gen'l. 
Lieutenant- Colonel  Montgomery, 

Commanding-  camp  disabled  horses,  Jackson' s  Cav.  Div. 

I  have  no  recollection  or  report  of  what  the  result  of 
the  inspection  was. 

A  few  days  later  I  received  the  following: 

Headquarters  Jackson's  Cavalry  Division, 

Cave  Springs,  October  20,  1864.. 
Colonel — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ceipt of  your  report  and  the  reports  of  the  brigade  de- 
tachments for  the  brigade  commanders  for  the  week 
ending  October  15,  1864.  I  am  directed  to  say  to  you, 
you  can  purchase  the  horses  alluded  to  and  give  the  de- 
tail desired.  As  to  the  movement  and  change  of  your 
camp,  it  will  be  taken  into  consideration  and  an  answer 
sent  you  soon. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Thomas  B.  Sykes,  A.  I.  G. 
Lieut. -Col.  Montgomery, 

Commanding  Detach??ie?it  Jackson1  s  Cavalry, 
near  West  Point. 

A  few  days  later  came  the  subjoined  letter  from  Gen- 
14 


2IO  REMINISCENCES    OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

eral  Jackson  written  by  himself.  The  paper  is  very  bad 
and  the  ink  is  worse  and  very  much  faded,  so  that  some 
words  cannot  be  deciphered. 

I  very  much  regret  this,  as  for  obvious  reasons  I  prize 
the  letter. 

Headquarters  Cavalry  Division, 

Jacksonville,  Ala.,  October  <?/,  1864.. 

Colonel — I  am  making  the  move  with  Armstrong's' 
and  Ross'  brigades  to  overtake  the  army  and  cross  the 
Tennessee  river.  I  wish  you  to  move  all  the  horses  of 
these  two  brigades  and  King's  battery  (which  was  sent 
to  West  Point  to  get  new  guns)  to  Crawford,  Mississippi, 
between  Macon  and  Columbus,  and  establish  your  camp 
in  that  vicinity,  or  if  forage  is  not  abundant  there  you 
will  select  some  place  convenient  to  that  road  higher  up. 
I  wish  you  before  starting  to  issue  an  order  by  my  com- 
mand breaking  up  the  camp  at  Eufala,  Alabama,  and 
ordering  them  to  join  you,  first  collecting  all  U.  S.  or  C. 
S.  horses  in  that  vicinity  in  the  hands  of  citizens,  as  I 
am  informed  that  the  Texans  there  have  disposed  of 
some  two  hundred  of  those  horses,  which  were  captured 

on  the that  camp  to .     If  citizens  have  traded 

with  them  for  any  horses,  whether  branded  or  not,  take 
them  away  from  them,  as  orders  have  been  issued,  and 
now  existing,  forbidding  citizens  to  trade  with  cavalry- 
men for  their  horses. 

I  wish  you  to  keep  all  the  men  you  now  have  with 
you,  recruit  their  horses  thoroughly,  and  move  the  bat- 
tery horses.  Do  not  send  any  of  them  to  their  com- 
mands until  I  send  you  orders.  Have  them  all  shod, 
draw  shoes  from  chief  of  ordnance  of  the  army,  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Kennard,  who  will  be  either  at  Selma  or 
Corinth. 

Let  the  horses  and  men  of  General  Ferguson's  brigade 
remain   in    the  present  camp,    and  notify  the  officer   in 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  211 

command  that  General  F.'s  brigade  was  left  at  Cedar 
Town,  somewhere  on  the  line  from  that  place  to  this. 

In  moving  to  your  new  position  make  easy  marches, 
have  no  straggling,  no  depredations. 

conduct  and  gratified  at  the have  straight- 
ened out most  difficult  of  all  commands,   '  'reserve 

camp  of  disabled  horses."  May  you  continue  in  this 
most  important  work.  You  have  my  best  wishes  and 
thanks.  With  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  H.  Jackson,  Brigadier-General. 
Lieut. -Col.  F.  A.  Montgomery, 

Co?nma?idi?ig  Camp  near  West  Point,  Georgia. 

Lieutenant  Chambers,  I  understand,  is  in  command  of 
Ross'  camp,  at  Eufala.  I  sent  him  an  order  a  day  or 
two '  ago  to  break  up  this  camp  and  join  you,  but  he 
had   not   received  it.     Issue    another   by  my  order. 

W.  H.  J. 

In  the  light  of  subsequent  events  it  looks  from  this 
order  like  General  Jackson  foresaw  the  result  of  the 
campaign  and  that  retreat  would  have  to  be  made  into 
Mississippi. 

Where  words  are  illegible  in  this  letter  I  have  not 
tried  to  supply  them,  but  have  substituted  dashes. 

The  day  before  receipt  of  General  Jackson's  order  I 
got  the  following  from  my  friend  Captain  Thos.  B.  Sykes: 

Blue  Mountain,  October  25,  1864. 

Colonel — I  have  just  found  a  man  here  en  route  to 
your  camp,  and  will  write  you  a  few  lines.  General 
Jackson  wrote  you  a  long  letter  last  night,  telling  you  of 
our  movements  and  giving  you  directions  what  to  do. 

The  command  (Ross'  and  Armstrong's  brigade)  left 
Jacksonville  to-day,  en  route  to  Gunter's  Landing.     I 


212  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

suppose  General  Hood  with  the  infantry  are  crossing  the 
Tennessee  river  to-day.  Ferguson's  brigade  is  left  at 
Cedartown,  with  orders  to  report  to  General  Wheeler. 
Jackson  is  to  have  some  other  brigade  in  place  of  Fergu- 
son's. Our  base  is  changed  to  Corinth  and  Tuscumbia. 
General  Jackson  wrote  to  move  your  camp  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Macon,  Mississippi,  and  to  break  up  the  camp 
at  Eufala,  and  in  his  name  order  the  men  and  horses  there 
to  report  to  you.  The  letter  was  mailed  to  you  at  Jack- 
sonville, and  may  not  reach  you  for  some  days.  It  was 
directed  to  you  at  West  Point.  We  have  done  but  little 
since  you  left  us.  .  The  most  important  was  the  taking  of 
the  train  of  cars  by  your  regiment.  General  Jackson 
also  sent  you  instructions  with  regard  to  King's  battery. 
The  letter  will  reach  you  in  a  few  days,  but  if  it  does 
not,  you  can  act  on  this  and  consider  it  official.  We  are 
all  in  high  spirits  and  crying  "On  to  the  Ohio!"  Wish- 
ing you  a  pleasant  time, 

I  am,  yours  truly, 

Thos  B.  Sykes,  A.  I.  G. 
To  Coionel  F.  A.  Montgomery, 

Comdg.  Detachment  Jackson' s  Cavalry, 
near  West  Point,  Ga. 

P.  S. — You  are  to  leave  the  men  and  horses  of  Fer- 
guson's brigade  where  they  are.  Send  a  special  courier 
down  to  Eufala.  Thos.  B.  Sykes,  A.  I.  G. 

These  old  letters  and  orders  are  of  little  value  perhaps 
in  the  history  of  the  war,  but  every  old  soldier  will  under- 
stand how  dearly  prized  they  are  by  me. 

I  got  the  command  I  was  to  take  to  Mississippi  to- 
gether as  soon  as  I  could,  the  guns  of  King's  battery  be- 
ing sent  by  rail  to  Meridian,  and  I  found  by  investigation 
that  the  reports  General  Jackson  had  received  of  the  sale 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


2I3 


of  horses  by  the  Texans  at  Eufala  had  been  greatly  ex- 
aggerated; a  few  perhaps  had  been  traded. 

My  march  across  the  State  of  Alabama  which,  as  di- 
rected by  General  Jackson,  I  made  by  easy  stages,  had 
but  few  incidents  of  interest  to  my  readers;  two  I  recall, 
one  serious,  the  other  amusing. 

To  prevent  straggling  at  any  time  in  a  cavalry  com- 
mand, even  when  the  company  and  regimental  organiza- 
tions were  complete,  was  no  easy  matter.  With  such  a 
command  as  I  had  it  was  most  difficult,  especially  on  my 
first  day's  march.  Somewhere  not  far  from  the  road 
I  was  pursuing,  as  I  learned  at  night,  was  a  distillery 
where  the  whiskey  came  hot  and  fiery  from  the  still,  and 
some  of  my  Texans  found  this  out.  These  men  were 
brave  soldiers;  I  had  seen  them  in  many  a  fight,  but  they 
were  at  all  times  impatient  of  control,  except  by  Ross, 
for  whom  any  of  them  I  believe  would  have  died  if 
need  be,  but  they  cared  little  for  the  authority  of  the 
two  lieutenants  they  had  with  them. 

Halting  the  first  night  at  a  little  village,  the  name  of 
which  I  have  forgotten,  I  sent  the  command  through  the 
village  to  camp,  except  my  guard,  which  I  kept  near  me 
at  the  entrance  to  the  village.  I  stationed  guards  in  the 
road,  with  orders  to  preserve  order,  and  also  sent  guards 
into  the  village  for  the  same  purpose.  As  was  to  be  ex- 
pected, some  men  were  late  getting  into  the  camp,  but 
most  of  them  came  quietly,  having  various  excuses,  which 
I  thought  it  good  policy  to  admit,  for  I  have  always  found 
that  a  man  in  authority,  having  the  power  to  punish  vio- 
lations of  his  orders,  ought  to  overlook  small  things, 
otherwise  he  will  be  in  hot  water,  as  the  saying  is,  all  the 
time. 

Presently,  however,  came  along  a  Texan,  whooping 
like  a  Comanche  Indian,  evidently  boiling  over  with  the 
effects  of  whiskey,  and  rushed  by  the  guards,  whom  I  had 


214  REMINISCENCES  OF   A   MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

ordered  not  to  fire  on  any  one  unless  absolutely  necessary, 
and  while  they  hesitated  as  to  whether  his  case  demanded 
a  shot,  he  got  by.  I  at  once  sent  an  order  to  the  lieu- 
tenant in  command  of  the  Ross  detachment  to  arrest  him 
and  bring  him  to  me. 

When  he  came  both  officers  were  with  him.  I  shamed 
him  for  his  conduct,  and  severely  rebuked  the  officers, 
and  told  them  if  I  had  any  more  trouble  I  wTould  arrest 
the  one  highest  in  rank,  and  send  him,  under  charges,  to 
General  Ross,  wherever  he  might  be.  They  promised  to 
do  better,  and  after  that  night  I  had  no  further  trouble 
with  them.  But  the  troubles  of  the  night  were  not 
ended.  •  I  was  roused  from  a  sound  sleep  by  a  report 
brought  by  a  citizen  that  one  of  the  Texans  had  shot  and 
mortally  wounded  an  old  farmer  about  two  miles  out  from 
the  village.  Sending  for  Captain  Kennedy,  I  directed 
him  to  pick  out  five  young  men,  one  to  be  a  sergeant, 
and  the  best  mounted,  and  these  upon  reporting  I  ordered 
to  go  at  once  to  the  wounded  man's  house,  get  the  trail 
of  his  assailant,  and  follow  him,  if  need  be  to  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  and  bring  him  to  me,  promising  them,  though 
this  was  not  necessary,  to  give  them  a  furlough  as  soon 
as  we  got  to  the  State  of  Mississippi. 

The  next  day  about  noon,  as  I  was  crosssing  the  Tal- 
lapoosa river,  one  of  them  came  to  me  and  privately  re- 
ported they  had  arrested  the  man,  but  thought  it  best  not 
to  bring  him  up  till  they  heard  from  me.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  I  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  him,  now  I  had 
him,  but  finally  sent  a  written  order  to  the  sergeant  to 
find  out  the  county  site  of  the  county  where  the  crime 
had  been  committed,  and  take  him  there  and  turn  him 
over  to  the  sheriff  to  be  put  into  the  jail.  I  kept  this  as 
quiet  as  I  could.  Late  that  night  the  detail  got  to  camp, 
and  reported  where  they  had  put  him,  but  I  don't  recol- 
lect the  county  or  town.      A  day  or  two  afterwards  I 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  215 

heard  a  rumor  that  some  of  the  Texans,  finding  where  he 
was,  slipped  off  without  my  knowledge,  but  no  doubt 
with  the  knowledge  of  their  own  officers,  and  released 
him.  I  have  no  doubt  it  was  true,  but  at  all  events  I  got 
rid  of  him,  for  I  saw  and  heard  of  him  no  more.  One 
good  effect  of  this  was  that  the  Texans  were  sobered  by 
this  outrage  by  one  of  their  number,  and  ashamed  of  it, 
and  as  long  as  I  remained  in  command  of  them  they  were 
quiet  and  well  behaved,  and  I  thought  tried  to  remove 
the  impression  which  they  supposed  I  had  formed  to 
the  prejudice  of  their  good  names  as  soldiers. 

Passing  on  my  way,  I  came  one  afternoon  to  a  very 
thrifty  farmer's,  who  had  even-thing  in  abundance,  and 
here  went  into  camp.  He  was  not  only  willing  to  supply 
me  with  forage,  but  was  kind  to  the  men,  giving  freely 
to  them  of  his  abundance,  especially  of  sorghum,  which 
he  was  just  grinding  and  boiling. 

My  quarters  were  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  his 
house,  and  just  after  dark  he  came  to  them  holding  a 
young  fellow  by  the  collar  with  one  hand,  while  in  the 
other  he  held  his  open  pocket-knife.  The  young  man 
held  a  turkey  by  its  legs  in  one  hand.  Inquiring  into 
the  case,  it  seems  that  the  old  gentleman,  for  he  was  be- 
tween fifty  and  sixty,  had  caught  the  young  fellow  just 
as  he  had  snatched  the  turkey  from  the  roost,  and  told 
him  if  he  let  it  drop  he  would  stick  his  knife  in  him,  and 
he  was  afraid  to  let  go,  and  in  this  ludicrous  fashion  he 
was  brought  to  me.  The  poor  fellow  was  so  much 
ashamed  he  could  hardly  speak,  and  I  contented  myself 
with  giving  him  a  good  scolding,  for  I  knew  the  ridicule 
to  which  he  would  be  exposed  would  be  more  punishment 
than  I  could  give  him.  I  made  him  take  the  turkey 
back,  the  farmer  guarding  him  all  the  way.  He  was  not 
one  of  the  Texans,  but  belonged  to  one  of  the  Mississippi 
regiments.      It  was  long  before  he  heard  the  last  of  that 


2l6  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

turkey.  I  reached  my  destination  in  due  time  and  es- 
tablished my  camp  northwest  of  Crawfordsville  some  five 
or  six  miles. 

I  was  tired  and  sick,  and  above  all  home-sick,  for  I 
had  not  seen  my  family  foi  more  than  a  year,  and  as  I 
knew  there  would  be  nothing  to  do  in  camp  for  a  time, 
and  it  was  in  good  order  and  in  fair  state  of  discipline,  I 
determined  to  try  and  get  a  leave  of  absence  and  go 
home.  This  was  no  easy  matter,  but  turning  the  camp 
over  to  Captain  Kennedy,  who  was  perfectly  competent 
to  manage  it,  I  went  to  the  Lauderdale  Springs  hos- 
pital. The  surgeon  in  charge  recommended  me  a 
leave  of  absence,  and  it  was  granted  by  General  Taylor, 
commanding  department  at  Meridian.  I  was  in  the  hos- 
pital two  or  three  days.  Going  into  the  ward  where  I 
was  to  find  a  bed,  I  was  surprised  to  hear  my  name 
called,  and  going  to  the  bed  whence  the  voice  proceeded, 
I  was  surprised  to  find  an  aide  of  General  Jackson.  I 
cannot  remember  his  name,  for  my  acquaintance  with  him 
was  but  slight.  He  had  belonged  in  the  old  army,  to 
Van  Dorn's  command,  and  had,  I  think,  then  the  rank 
of  serjeaut,  and  being  much  attached  to  that  officer,  had 
followed  him,  and  had  been  given  the  rank  of  lieutenant 
in  that  general's  bodyguard.  After  Van  Dorn's  death  he 
had  attached  himself  to  General  Jackson,  who  had  found 
a  place  for  him. 

He  was  a  young  fellow,  and  I  knew  he  was  regarded  as 
a  rollicking  but  gallant  soldier,  born  in  the  Emerald  Isle. 
Upon  inquiring  into  his  condition  as  to  when  and  where 
he  was  wounded,  he  told  me  in  confidence  he  had  been 
wounded  in  a  duel  with  my  friend  Captain  Thos.  B. 
Sykes.  They  had  fallen  out  and  fought,  and  he  was 
severely  wounded,  the  captain  unhurt.  The  matter  was 
kept  quiet,  and  few  knew  it,  and  I  kept  his  secret  at  the 
hospital.     I  cannot  at  this  writing  recall  another  duel  in 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


'17 


our  army  during  the  war,  though  no  doubt  there  were 
others  which  were  hushed  up.  I  have  no  idea  what  be- 
came of  him  afterwards. 

My  leave  of  absence  obtained,  I  started  home,  going  to 
camp  to  get  my  horse  and  servant.  It  was  now  about 
the  first  of  December,  and  I  had  a  hard  ride  before  me, 
for  at  least  fifty  miles  of  it  was  to  be  across  the  Yazoo 
Delta.  On  the  last  but  one  day  of  my  ride  I  got  within 
fifty  miles  of  my  home,  and  determined  not  to  sleep 
the  next  night  till  I  got  home.  Staying  all  night  about 
a  mile  from  the  old  town  of  McXutt,  I  requested  my 
landlord  to  give  me  a  breakfast  before  it  was  light, 
which  he  did.  The  road  to  McNutt  and  for  a  mile 
beyond  was  good,  but  then  came  an  almost  impassable 
swamp.  As  soon  as  I  struck  this  swamp  I  was  obliged 
to  halt  and  wait  for  daylight.  Pushing  on,  about  dark 
I  reached  the  place  where  my  wife  had  made  her  home 
most  of  the  war,  but  there  learned  she  had  moved  back 
to  our  old  place  on  the  river.  I  knew  she  had  intended 
to  do  so  if  she  could  get  some  houses  built,  because  the 
few  negroes  who  had  remained  faithful  desired  it,  and 
would  otherwise  have  left.  It  was  ten  miles  further, 
but  I  went  on,  and  finally  got  home. 

I  found  the  next  morning  she  had  succeeded  in  having 
some  cabins  built  for  the  negroes,  built  by  their  own 
labor  from  logs,  but  warm  and  comfortable.  For  her- 
self she  had  a  little  house  with  a  few  rooms,  built  to 
some  of  the  chimneys  which  were  left  standing  after  the 
fire,  and  wras  better  situated  than  I  had  expected.  The 
soldier's  dream  I  had  in  Georgia  was  at  last  realized — I 
was  home  with  my  wife  and  children,  though  not  this 
time  for  long. 

On  my  way  home  this  time  I  spent  the  night  in  the 
village  of  Greensborough,  in  Webster  county,  and  staid 
all  night  with  the  family  of  a  neighbor  and   friend  of 


2lS  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

Bolivar  county,  who  was  himself  in  the  transportation  de- 
partment of  ihe  government,  and  was  not  at  home. 
His  mother  was  a  very  old  lady  (the  name  was  Wor- 
sham)  and  quite  uneducated,  but  the  most  inveterate 
"gold  bug"  I  have  ever  known,  for  not  only  did  she  be- 
lieve in  gold,  but  she  would  not  take,  when  she  could 
help  it,  anything  but  twenty  dollar  pieces.  Some  four 
years  before  the  war  .the  old  lady  sent  me  word  one  day 
that  she  had  two  thousand  dollars  she  wanted  to  lend  me, 
she  had  just  collected  it  from  some  one  to  whom  it  had 
been  loaned,  and  she  wanted  to  lend  it  again.  I  went  to 
see  her  and  agreed  to  take  the  money  at  ten  per  cent, 
but  in  addition  she  insisted  on  having  a  bolt  of  calico 
when  the  interest  was  paid.  I  agreed  to  this  also,  and 
every  Christmas  she  would  come  herself  to  get  her  in- 
terest and  her  bolt  of  calico.  One  part  of  the  contract 
wTas  that  when  she  wanted  her  money  it  was  to  be  paid 
to  her  in  twenty  dollar  gold  pieces,  no  other  kind  of 
money  would  do. 

The  first  of  January,  1861,  came  round,  and  this  time 
she  not  only  wanted  her  interest  and  bolt  of  calico,  but 
she  wanted  all  her  money  in  twenty  dollar  gold  pieces. 
I  finally  got  up  about  thirteen  hundred  dollars  in  twenty 
dollar  pieces,  but  was  obliged  to  pay  the  rest  in  smaller 
coin.  The  old  lady  went  off  and  bought  a  negro  girl 
paying  all  her  small  money,  about  eight  hundred  dollars, 
for  her,  and  then  sold  her  for  about  that  much  in  con- 
federate money  a  year  or  two  later,  but  she  told  me  with 
great  glee  she  still  had  all  her  twenty  dollar  gold  pieces 
left  that  I  had  paid  to  her.  I  never  saw  or  heard  of 
the  old  lady  again.  A  citizen  in  the  town,  or  near  the 
town,  had  a  very  fine  horse  for  sale,  and  I  sent  him 
word  I  would  pass  that  way  again  in  a  few  weeks  and 
if  I  liked  the  horse  I  would  buy  him.  I  was  told  he 
would  take  nothing  but  gold,  and  as  my  wife  had  always 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  219 

kept  some  hid  away,  though  no  large  sum,  I  took  with 
me  as  I  went  back  the  price  of  the  horse,  one  hundred 
and  forty  dollars,  and  got  him.  He  was  indeed  one  of 
the  finest  horses  I  had  ever  owned  and  had  been  raised 
by  his  owner.  I  had  broken  down  several  horses  during 
the  war,  and  had  two  killed,  and  was  glad  to  find  this 
horse.     I  was  not  to  ride  him  very  long. 


220  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Rejoin  army  at  Tupelo —Disastrous  condition  as  seen  by  General 
Taylor — Brigade  furloughed  two  weeks — A  young  recruit  to 
Bolivar  troop  from  New  York,  but  native  of  Alabama,  Henry 
Elliot — Reorganization  of  cavalry  at  Columbus— Appointed  on 
examining  board — Legislature  in  session — Speeches  by  prom- 
inent men — General  Forrest— General  Taylor's  opinion  of 
him — Military  execution — Ordered  towards  Selma. 

All  fear  of  actual  outrage  at  the  hands  of  the  federals, 
who  now  and  then  raided  the  county  from  their  station 
at  the  mouth  of  the  White  river,  had  been  removed  from 
the  minds  of  the  people,  except  those  who  were  either 
soldiers  at  home  or  passing  through,  or  members  of  the 
"featherbeds",  and  even  the  families  of  these  were  not 
now  molested.  For  myself,  I  could  not  safely  stay  at 
home  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  we  went  a  few  miles 
back  to  an  abandoned  place  belonging  to  a  relative,  and 
there  my  wife  remained  till  I  returned  to  the  army,  when 
she  fearlessly  went  back  to  her  own  home.  While  at 
home  many  citizens  came  to  see  me,  that  is  to  say,  many 
of  the  few,  who  were  in  the  county.  All  were  anxious 
of  course  to  know  my  opinion  of  the  condition,  how  long 
the  war  would  last,  what  the  final  result  would  be,  and 
the  fate  of  the  south  if  we  wTere  conquered. 

I  did  not  yet  feel  whipped  myself,  but  I  did  not  deny 
that  we  were  in  great  danger,  that  the  prospects  were 
gloomy,  that  there  was  no  longer  hope  of  intervention,  or 
recognition  by  any  foreign  power,  and  that  the  re-election 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  precluded  any  hope  of  help  from  oppo- 
nents of  the  war  in  the  north,  but  I  advised  that  every- 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  22  1 

body  at  home  go  to  work  the  best  they  could,  for  I 
felt  assured  that  no  property  would  be  confiscated  if  we 
were  beaten,  our  only  property  loss  would  be  our  slaves, 
except  the  loss  already  sustained,  which  of  course  was 
enormous.  There  was,  in  fact,  no  other  course  left  to 
the  people,  though  it  was  the  fixed  purpose  of  the  army 
in  the  field,  to  fight  it  out  to  the  end.  If  success  came 
at  last  to  our  arms,  all  would  be  well,  if  defeat,  our  wives 
and  children  would  at  least  be  able  to  live,  though  in  di- 
minished comfort  as  compared  with  the  happier  times 
before  the  war.  This  was  my  reasoning  as  a  soldier  with 
a  command  still  in  the  field,  and  with  hope  not  entirely 
gone,  for  was  not  the  great  Lee  still  holding  his  own,  and 
had  not  Johnston  been  recalled  to  a  command? — alas,  too 
late  to  save  his  splendid  and  devoted  army  from  defeat 
and  almost  destruction,  but  still  he  had  been  recalled,  and 
this  alone  revived  the  hope  of  the  army  in  their  last 
desperate  struggle. 

About  the  ioth  of  January,  1865,  anc^  before  my  leave 
had  expired,  I  started  back  to  the  army,  for  I  knew  Gen- 
eral Hood  had  crossed  the  Tennessee  river  and  was  re- 
treating to  Tupelo,  and  my  anxiety  would  not  permit  me 
to  remain  longer  away.  I  reached  Tupelo  about  the 
same  time  my  brigade  did.  It  was  neither  demoralized 
nor  whipped,  but  it  was  in  bad  shape  from  loss  of  men  and 
horses.  Some  of  the  bravest  men  of  the  command  had 
been  left  to  sleep  their  last  sleep  in  the  soil  of  Tennessee. 
I  recall  as  I  write,  no  names,  but  the  brave  Captain  King 
of  my  regiment  from  Noxubee  county,  and  Sergeant  Orin 
Kingley  of  the  Bolivar  troop,  my  neighbor  and  friend  at 
home.  Not  having  been  with  the  brigade  in  this  disas- 
trous campaign  into  and  retreat  from  Tennessee,  to  my 
great  regret  I  cannot  from  personal  knowledge  give  an 
account  of  its  hardships  and  its  gallant  services,  especially 
on  the  retreat.     In  Captain  Sykes'  letter  to  me,  before 


222  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

quoted,  he  mentions  the  capture  of  a  train  of  cars  by  the 
First  Mississippi  regiment,  and  as  I  learned,  this  was  a 
gallant  exploit. 

Armstrong's  brigade  was  almost  wholly  a  Mississippi 
brigade,  and  it  was  known  as  such,  but  in  the  histories  of 
the  state  which  I  have  seen  no  mention  is  made  of  it,  or 
of  its  services  in  this  campaign,  and  I  have  carefully  ex- 
amined to  see. 

Before  the  command  had  left  Georgia,  Captain  Taylor 
of  the  First  Mississippi  had  been  ordered  to  report  to 
General  French  with  his  company,  and  took  part  in  the 
operations  of  that  officer  in  his  attack  on  Altoona,  but  he 
was  not  separated  long  from  his  regiment.  There  was  no 
braver  or  better  officer  in  the  regiment  or  in  the  whole 
command. 

After  the  war  it  was  my  pleasure,  as  well  as  an  honor, 
to  know  well  that  favorite  of  Mississippians,  the  gallant 
Walthall,  who  commanded  the  rear  in  Hood's  retreat, 
and  who  had  Armstrong  in  his  rear,  all  the  time,  and  he 
often  told  me  of  the  services  of  the  brigade  and  its  splendid 
commander,  and  I  wish  I  had  taken  notes  of  what  he  said, 
but  I  did  not.  But  while  the  brigade  was  still  intact, 
though  it  had  suffered  heavily  in  men  and  horses,  where 
now  was  the  army,  then  full  of  hope  and  confidence  in 
their  general,  which  on  the  i8thof  July,  1864,  had  been 
turned  over  to  General  Hood  ?  Let  General  Taylor,  who 
succeeded  General  Hood  in  the  command,  tell  what  he 
found  when  he  got  to  Tupelo: 

"It  is  painful  to  criticise  Hood's  conduct  of  this  cam- 
paign. Like  Ney,  'the  bravest  of  the  brave,'  he  was  a 
splendid  leader  in  battle,  and  as  a  brigade  or  division  com- 
mander unsurpassed;  but  arrived  at  higher  rank,  he  seems 
to  have  been  impatient  of  control,  and  openly  disapproved 
of  Johnston's  conduct  of  affairs  between  Dalton  and  At- 
lanta.    Unwillingness  to  obey  is  often  interpreted  by  gov- 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


223 


ernnients  into  capacity  to  command.  Reaching  the  south- 
ern bank  of  the  Tennessee,  Hood  asked  to  be  relieved, 
and  a  telegraphic  order  assigned  me  to  the  duty.  At  Tu- 
pelo, on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railway,  a  hundred  and  odd 
miles  north  of  Meridian,  I  met  him  and  the  remains  of  his 
army.  Within  my  experience  were  assaults  on  positions 
in  which  heavy  losses  were  sustained  without  success; 
but  the  field  had  been  held;  retreats,  but  preceded  by  re- 
pulse of  the  foe,  and  followed  by  victory.  This  was  my 
first  view  of  a  beaten  army,  an  army  that  for  four  years 
had  shown  a  constancy  worthy  'of  the  'Ten  Thousand,' 
and  a  painful  sight  it  was.  Many  guns  and  small  arms 
had  been  lost,  and  the  ranks  were  depleted  by  thousands 
of  prisoners  and  missing.  Blankets,  shoes,  clothing,  and 
accouterments  were  wanting." 

But  I  forbear  to  quote  further  or  to  dwell  longer  on  this 
painful  scene.  Almost  all  the  remnants  of  this  gallant 
army  were  hurried  to  General  Johnston  in  North  Caro- 
lina, there  in  a  few  weeks  more  to  lay  down  their  arms 
forever.  General  Jackson's  division  was  kept  in  Missis- 
sippi. General  Armstrong's  brigade,  as  stated  by  him  in 
his  letter  before  quoted,  were  furloughed  for  two  weeks 
to  recruit  horses,  and  indeed  men  if  any  could  be  found. 
Our  orders  were  to  rendezvous  near  Columbus  in  two 
weeks;  and  though  it  would  take  me  four  days  to  get 
home,  and  four  to  get  back,  leaving  me  only  a  few  days 
at  home,  I  turned  and  went  with  the  Bolivar  troop  who 
went  home.  I  would  have  gone  to  stay  a  day,  for  in' 
those  days  a  ride  across  the  state  and  back  was  nothing 
to  me. 

While  at  home  this  company  got  a  recruit,  I  must  not 
omit  to  mention,  for  of  him  I  must  speak  again.  His 
name  was  Henry  Elliot,  a  boy  about  sixteen  years  old, 
perhaps  a  few  months  older.  He  was  from  the  State  of 
New  York,  I  forget  now  from  what  part,  and  he  and  a 


224  REMINISCENCES  OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

boy  two  or  three  years  older,  named  Joe  Clark,  whose 
father,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  was  a  merchant, 
renting  a  house  and  store  from  me  at  my  landing,  and 
who  was  a  northern  man  and  had  gone  home,  had  in  some 
way  made  their  way  to  Bolivar  county,  arriving  there 
about  the  time  I  had  started  to  Tupelo.  A  raid  captured 
Clark  and  returned  him  to  his  parents.  Henry  Elliot 
said  he  was  a  southern  boy,  and  had  come  south  to  join 
the  army.  He  and  Clark  had  made  acquaintance,  and 
Clark  knowing  Bolivar  county  and  many  people,  they  had 
come  there.  How  they  managed  it  I  don't  know,  but 
both  had  the  romantic  idea  of  fighting  for  southern  rights. 
Henry  Elliot  told  me  that  he  had  been  born  near  Marion, 
Alabama,  that  his  father  had  moved  north,  and  his  mother 
being  dead,  had  married  again,  that  he  had  an  aunt  still 
living  near  Marion  when  he  had  last  heard  from  her.  He 
was  a  bright  and  even  a  lovable  boy,  as  I  thought  after 
two  months'  acquaintance  with  him.  Such  boys,  and 
many  of  them,  we  had  in  the  army  from  the  beginning, 
and  many  lay  already,  sleeping  their  last  sleep,  on  the 
battle  fields  of  the  south,  but  these  for  the  most  part  had 
been  boys,  not  only  born  in  the  south,  but  living  there 
when  the  call  to  arms  first  stirred  the  blood  of  the  people. 
But  Henry  Elliot  had  been,  from  the  commencement  of 
the  war,  then  a  child  of  about  twelve  years  of  age,  living 
where  nothing  but  censure  of  the  south  could  be  heard, 
and  yet  he  said,  intending  to  come  south  and  make  his 
home  when  he  grew  to  be  a  man,  he  thought  he  ought  to 
come  and  fight  for  her  liberties.  He  was  without  clothes, 
except  what  he  had  on,  but  some  were  provided  for  him, 
and  he  was  furnished  by  some  one  with  a  horse  and  gun, 
and  joined  the  company. 

I  was  soon  on  my  way  back  to  the  command,  and  it 
was  not  many  days  before  the  whole  brigade  was  together 
once  more  near  Columbus,  Mississippi,  as  General  Arm- 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR. 


225 


strong  says,  in  better  condition  and  ready  for  the  field 
again.  There  was  a  concentration  of  all  the  cavalry 
which  could  be  got  together,  and  a  reorganization  at  or 
near  Columbus,  under  that  great  but  untaught  soldier, 
Bedford  Forrest,  now  holding  the  high  rank  of  lieutenant- 
general.  What  can  I  say  of  this  man  whose  marvelous 
career  to  this  time  had  been  one  of  almost  continuous 
success.  I  knew  him  well,  had  known  him  long,  but  ex- 
cept for  the  short  time  before  mentioned  at  Columbia, 
Tennessee,  I  had  not  been  with  him  or  under  his  com- 
mand till  now.  Without  a  uniform,  and  this  did  not 
much  change  him,  he  looked  like  an  old  country  farmer. 
His  manner  was  mild,  his  speech  rather  low  and  slow, 
but  let  him  once  be  aroused  and  the  whole  man  changed; 
his  wrath  was  terrible,  and  few,  if  any,  dared  to  brave  it. 
There  has  long  been  talk  of  raising  a  monument  to  his 
memory  in  Memphis,  and  it  will  no  doubt  be  done,  but  to 
portray  him  rightly  there  ought  to  be  two,  one  the  far- 
mer-like Forrest,  the  other  Forrest  leading  his  men  to 
battle,  or  when  in  anger. 

So  much  has  been  said  and  written,  and  is  now  being 
said  and  written,  about  General  Forrest,  that  I  make  no 
apology  for  quoting  at  some  length  from  what  General 
Taylor  said  of  him  after  assuming  the  command  of  this 
department  at  Meridian.  He  met  him  the  same  day  he 
himself  arrived  and  took  the  command. 

"Major  General  Maury,  in  immediate  command  at 
Mobile,  and  the  senior  officer  in  the  department  before 
my  arrival,  had  ordered  General  Forrest  with  his  cavalry 
to  Mobile,  in  anticipation  of  an  attack.  Forrest  himself 
was  expected  to  pass  through  Meridian  that  evening,  en 
route  for  Mobile.  Just  from  the  Mississippi  river,  where 
facilities  for  obtaining  information  from  New  Orleans, 
were  greater  than  at  Mobile,  I  was  confident  the  enemy 
contemplated  no  immediate  attack  upon  the  latter  place. 
15 


226  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

Accordingly,  General  Maury  was  informed  by  telegraph 
of  my  presence,  that  I  assumed  command  of  the  depart- 
ment, and  would  arrest  Forrest's  movement.  An  hour 
later  a  train  from  the  north  bringing  Forrest  in  advance 
of  his  troops,  reached  Meridian  and  was  stopped,  and 
the  general  whom  I  had  never  seen,  came  to  report. 

"He  was  a  tall,  stalwart  man,  with  grayish  hair,  mild 
countenance  and  slow  and  homely  of  speech.  In  few 
words  he  was  informed  that  I  considered  Mobile  safe  for 
the  present,  and  that  all  our  energies  must  be  directed  to 
the  relief  of  Hood's  army,  then  west  of  Atlanta.  The 
only  way  to  do  this  was  to  worry  Sherman's  communica- 
tions north  of  the  Tennessee  river,  and  he  must  move  his 
cavalry  in  that  direction  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 
To  my  surprise,  Forrest  suggested  many  difficulties  and 
asked  numerous  questions;  how  he  was  to  get  over  the 
Tennessee,  how  he  was  to  get  back  if  pressed  by  the 
enemy,  how  he  was  to  be  supplied,  what  should  be  his 
line  of  retreat  in  certain  contingencies,  what  he  was  to  do 
with  prisoners  if  any  were  taken,  etc.  I  began  to  think 
he  had  no  stomach  for  the  work;  (I  suspect  Forrest  was 
trying  in  his  own  way  to  find  out  what  sort  of  a  new  com- 
mander he  had),  but  at  last  having  isolated  the  chance  of 
success  from  the  cause  of  failure,  with  the  care  of  a  chemist 
experimenting  in  his  laboratory,  he  rose  and  asked  for 
Fleming,  the  superintendent  of  the  railway,  who  was  on 
the  train  by  which  he  had  come.  Fleming  appeared,  a 
little  man  on  crutches  (he  had  recently  broken  a  leg), 
but  with  the  energy  of  a  giant,  and  at  once  stated  what 
he  could  do  in  the  way  of  moving  supplies  on  his  line, 
which  had  been  repaired  up  to  the  Tennessee  boundary. 
Forrest's  whole  manner  changed.  In  a  dozen  sharp  sen- 
tences he  told  his  wants,  said  he  would  leave  a  staff  officer 
to  bring  up  supplies,  asked  for  an  engine  to  take  him  back 
to  his  troops  twenty  miles  north,  informed  me  he  would 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  22J 

march  with  the  dawn,  and  hoped  to  give  an  account  of 
himself  in  Tennessee. 

"Moving  with  great  rapidity,  he  crossed  the  Tennessee 
river,  captured  stockades  with  their  garrisons,  burned 
bridges,  destroyed  railways,  reached  the  Cumberland 
river  below  Nashville,  drove  away  gunboats,  captured  and 
destroyed  several  transports  with  immense  stores,  and 
spread  alarm  over  a  wide  region.  The  enemy  concen- 
trated on  him  from  all  directions,  but  he  eluded  or 
defeated  their  several  columns,  recrossed  the  Tennessee 
and  brought  off  fifteen  hundred  prisoners  and  much  spoil. 
Like  Clive,  nature  made  him  a  great  soldier,  but  he  was 
without  the  former's  advantages.  Limited,  as  was  Clive' s 
education,  he  was  a  person  of  erudition  compared  with 
Forrest,  who  read  with  difficulty.  In  the  last  weeks  of 
the  war  he  was  much  with  me  and  told  me  the  story  of 
his  life.  His  father,  a  poor  trader  in  negroes  and  mules 
died  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  leaving  a  widow  and 
several  children  dependent  on  him  for  support.  To  add 
to  his  burden,  a  posthumous  infant  was  born  a  few  weeks 
after  his  father's  death. 

"Continuing  the  paternal  occupation  in  a  small  way,  he 
continued  to  maintain  the  family  and  give  some  education 
to  the  younger  children.  His  character  for  truth,  honesty 
and  energy  was  recognized,  and  he  gradually  achieved 
independence  and  aided  his  brethren  to  start  in  life.  Such 
was  his  short  story  before  the  war.  .  .  .  The  accusa- 
tions of  his  enemies  that  he  murdered  prisoners  at  Fort 
Pillow  and  elsewhere  are  absolutely  false.  The  prisoners 
captured  on  the  expedition  into  Tennessee  of  which  I  have 
just  written  were  mostly  negroes,  and  he  carefully  looked 
after  their  wants  himself,  though  in  rapid  movement  and 
fighting  much  of  the  time.  These  negroes  told  me  of 
Mas'  Forrest's  kindness  to  them." 

The  design  was  to  organize  the  cavalry  under  Forrest 


228  REMINISCENCES   OF  A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 

into  two  divisions,  one  to  be  commanded  by  General 
Jackson  and  the  other  by  General  J.  R.  Chalmers,  and 
great  pains  were  taken.  Many  vacancies  had  been  made 
in  company  and  regimental  officers,  which  had  not  yet 
been  filled,  and  a  court  under  the  act  of  congress  before 
alluded  to  was  ordered  by  General  Taylor  to  examine  and 
pass  on  the  qualifications  of  those  entitled  by  seniority  to 
succeed.  He  appointed  me  a  member  of  that  court;  and 
as  we  would  be  engaged  for  some  weeks,  I  went  into  the 
city  of  Columbus,  where  Forrest,  Chalmers  and  Jackson 
had  their  headquarters,  to  be  convenient  to  it.  This  was 
about  the  first  of  March,  1865,  and  I  remained  in  Colum- 
bus most  of  the  time  till  the  work  of  our  examining  board 
or  court  was  finished,  the  commands  of  the  different  brig- 
ades being  all  within  easy  reach  of  that  place. 

The  legislature  had  been  in  session  at  Columbus  for 
some  time,  though  the  seat  of  the  state  government  was  at 
Macon,  and  was  still  in  session  when  I  took  up  my  quar- 
ters in  that  city.  There  were  many  leading  citizens  of 
the  state  present  besides  the  members,  and  some  of  these 
were  anxious  to  give  their  views  as  to  the  situation  and 
the  remedy  for  the  dangers  which,  it  could  no  longer  be 
concealed,  threatened  our  cause.  Among  others,  after- 
wards Governor  Alcorn  made  a  speech  which  I  heard,  and 
remember  his  theme.  He  said,  and  in  this  he  spoke  truly, 
that  the  whole  civilized  world  was  against  the  south  on 
the  question  of  negro  slavery,  and  he  advocated  an  imme- 
diate declaration,  to  be  put  in  force  at  once  by  acts  of  the 
legislatures  and  the  confederate  congress,  to  free  the  ne- 
groes at  the  end  of  twenty  years.  This,  he  thought, 
would  excite  sympathy  for  us  abroad  and  bring  recogni- 
tion of  our  independence,  with  its  attendant  advantages. 
He  went  further,  and  advocated  the  raising  of  negro  sol- 
diers, to  be  officered  by  white  men,  with  the  promise  to 
these  soldiers  to  free  them  as  soon  as  the  war  ended.     He 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  229 

was  able  and  eloquent  in  stating  his  views,  and  many 
agreed  with  him;  but  it  was  too  late,  even  if  the  south 
could  have  been  won  over  to  his  plan.  Two  years  sooner 
this  scheme,  if  carried  into  effect,  might  have  done  some 
good;  but  I  doubt  if  at  any  time,  even  when,  as  now,  the 
confederacy  was  in  its  dying  agonies  (though  not  even 
yet  admitted),  it  would  have  met  the  approbation  of  the 
great  mass  of  the  southern  people,  even  if  it  would  have 
assured  independence.  To  have  made  soldiers  out  of  the 
negroes  would  never  have  done  in  the  south,  however 
well  it  suited  the  north.  I  agreed  with  him  as  to  the 
emancipation  plan  at  the  end  of  twenty  years,  for  slavery 
had  long  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  stumblingblock  in  the 
way  of  our  success,  and  twenty  years  would  have  given 
the  south  time  to  prepare  for  and  meet  the  change — that 
is,  upon  the  expectation  we  were  to  win  our  fight. 

On  the  night  of  the  4th  of  March,  as  I  find  by  a  letter 
written  that  day  to  my  wife,  Colonel  Orr,  the  member  of 
congress  from  the  district  in  which  Columbus  was  situ- 
ated, was  to  speak.  He  had  heralded  his  appearance 
while  on  his  way  from  Richmond,  by  a  telegram  to  the 
legislature  not  to  adjourn  till  he  reached  Columbus. 
Colonel  Orr  had  commanded  the  Thirty-first  Mississippi 
regiment,  one  of  those  engaged  in  the  battles  around 
Vicksburg,  and  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  at  this  time  a 
member  of  congress,  and  known  to  be  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  foreign  affairs,  and  coming  now  direct  from 
congress  and  after  the  Hampton  Roads  conference  with 
Mr.  Lincoln,  it  may  be  imagined  with  what  interest — 
fear  with  many,  hope  with  few — this  message  had  been 
received,  and  how  anxiously  his  arrival  was  awaited.  He 
came,  and  had  a  crowded  house  to  hear  him. 

To  my  infinite  surprise,  instead  of  hopeful,  cheering 
words,  his  whole  speech  was  a  severe  arraignment  of 
President  Davis,  especially  for  some  of  his  military  ap- 


230  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

pointments,  particularly  that  of  General  Pemberton.  In 
painful  silence  the  large  audience  listened.  .  There  was 
no  applause,  for  if  there  were  any  who  agreed  with  him, 
they  felt  the  indecency  of  giving  expression  to  their 
approval  of  his  speech.  True,  most  men  felt  the  presi- 
dent had  made  mistakes,  especially  in  the  appointment  of 
General  Pemberton  and  the  removal  of  General  Johnston; 
Hut  all  true  southern  men,  especially  all  true  soldiers, 
sympathized  with  instead  of  blaming  him,  for  all  knew 
that  his  heart  was  wrung  with  anguish  at  the  results  of 
his  action  and  at  the  censure  he  knew  had  in  the  minds 
of  many  fallen  upon  him,  though  too  proud  to  speak  in 
his  own  behalf. 

When  the  speech  was  ended  a  gentleman  in  the 
audience  rose  and  said  he  would  reply  to  it  the  next  night 
in  the  same  place.  This  was  James  S.  Phelan,  an  emi- 
nent lawyer  of  Aberdeen,  who  was  one  of  the  first  confed- 
erate states  senators  from  Mississippi,  but  now  one  of  the 
judges  of  a  milita^  court,  of  which  General  J.  Z.  George 
was  also  a  member.  The  house  was  again  crowded,  to 
hear  Judge  Phelan,  Colonel  Orr  being  present,  and  I 
pitied  him  while  he  listened  to  the  scathing  rebuke  for 
his  speech  which  Phelan  gave  him,  and  which  he  sev- 
eral times  interrupted,  trying  to  explain.  Judge  Phelan 
also  made  an  able  defense  of  the  president,  without  de- 
fending Pemberton,  but  he  stated  a  conversation  he  had 
with  the  president  about  this  very  matter,  and  he  showed 
the  difficulties  under  which  Mr.  Davis  labored  all  the 
time,  so  well  and  so  pathetically  that  he  won  for  him  the 
sympathies  of  his  audience,  and  was  loudly  applauded  at 
the  close  of  his  speech. 

A  few  days  after  this  rumors  of  a  federal  raid  to  Tupelo 
suspended  the  labors  of  the  examining  board,  and  Gen- 
eral Chalmers'  division  was  ordered  to  meet  it.  Colonel 
Pinson  remained  in  command  of  the  camp,  and  I  went  in 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  23 1 

command  of  the  regiment.  The  command  went  dis- 
mounted,, and  on  cars,  and  the  trip  was  extremely  disa- 
greeable, the  more  so  as  we  found  it  a  false  alarm.  We 
got  back  to  camp  on  the  nth  of  March,  and  I  went  on 
into  Columbus,  where  I  had  left  my  horse,  it  being  un- 
derstood the  brigade  would  follow  next  day,  as  the  whole 
command  was  about  to  march  towards  Selma,  Alabama. 
The  legislature  had  adjourned  while  I  was  away.  I  find 
.  from  some  letters  I  wrote  my  wife  from  Columbus,  that 
while  in  that  city  I  paid  ten  dollars  a  day  at  a  private 
boarding  house  for  my  board,  and  five  dollars  a  day  at  a 
stable  for  my  horse.  The  board  was  either  very  fine  or 
the  money  was  very  poor.  I  remember  a  few  days  before 
we  left  I  paid  eighteen  dollars  a  pound  for  some  coarse 
brown  sugar  for  my  coffee. 

About  the  fifteenth  of  March  we  took  our  leave,  of 
Columbus,  but  as  we  were  leaving  the  whole  command 
was  halted  to  witness  a  military  execution,  the  second  I  had 
seen  during  the  war,  for  they  were  almost  unknown  to 
the  cavalry,  though  it  was  known  a  good  many  had  taken 
place  in  the  army  under  General  Bragg,  who  was  a  severe 
disciplinarian. 

The  first  I  had  seen  was  a  poor  fellow  who  had  been 
convicted  by  the  military  court  of  being  a  spy,  and  the 
command  was  placed  in  line  to  see  him  die.  I  am  glad 
to  say  I  was  not  near  enough  to  see  his  face  or  hear  him 
speak. 

The  one  now  to  die  had  been  convicted  of  desertion, 
and  as  he  marched  past  the  line,  he  seemed  to  me  to  be 
about  forty-five  years  old.  He  met  his  death  bravely, 
and  it  was  over  in  a  minute,  but  what  a  pity  it  was,  for 
in  a  few  weeks  more  the  war  was  to  end,  and  who  knows 
what  made  him  desert,  perhaps  a  starving  wife  and  chil- 
dren. I  never  knew  or  inquired  his  story,  nor  do  I  wish 
to  know  now,  but  I  have  often  thought  of  him  and  won- 


232  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

dered  if  perhaps  he  did  not  have  an  excuse,  good  in  the 
sight  of  heaven,  though  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  military  law. 

I  have  said  that  our  brigade  was  now  in  the  division 
commanded  by  General  Chalmers.  The  command,  and 
especially  my  regiment,  parted  with  General  Jackson  with 
regret,  for  we  had  served  under  him  for  three  years,  and 
he  was  highly  esteemed  by  both  the  men  and  officers  as  a 
brave  but  cautious  commander.  General  Chalmers  was 
known  to  be  a  gallant  soldier,  and  there  was  no  objection 
to  him,  but  naturally  the  brigade  preferred  Jackson. 
However,  we  still  had  Armstrong,  though  Starke's  regi- 
ment had  been  taken  from  the  brigade  and  given  to 
Starke,  now  promoted  to  be  brigadier-general,  and  also  in 
our  new  division.  It  seemed  to  me  that,  as  our  army 
grew  smaller,  and  companies  and  regiments  were  from 
time  to  time  consolidated,  the  crop  of  brigadiers  increased, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  all  the  generals.  We  had 
enough,  I  think,  when  the  war  ended,  to  supply  an  army 
five  times  as  large  as  ours  was. 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR.  233 


CHAPTER  XXL 

Last  letter  to  my  wife,  very  gloomy — Cross  Warrior  river,  move  to 
Marion — New  York  recruit  sees  his  aunt — Thrown  in  Wilson's 
front — Night  march,  fall  back  on  Selma — Enemy  attack 
Selma — How  General  Taylor  escaped — Description  of  battle — 
Regiment  nearly  all  killed,  wounded  or  captured — Brave  Fed- 
eral sergeant  saves  my  life — Took  my  pistol  aud  hat,  but  didn't 
want  Confederate  money — Sorrowful  night — Federal  band 
plays  "Dixie,"  insult  to  injury. 

General  Taylor  estimated  the  force  Forrest  had  now  at 
eight  thousand  men,  but  unless  he  had  some  other  com- 
mands besides  Chalmers'  Mississippi  division,  and  Jack- 
con's  Tennessee  division,  it  could  not  have  been  so  large, 
for  I  am  confident  these  two  divisions  did  not  have  more 
than  five  thousand  effective  men  in  them.  But  they 
were  veterans  who  had  remained  steadfast  throughout 
the  war,  and  who  were  not  yet  ready  to  say,  "hold, 
enough."  As  long  as  they  had  a  government  to  fight 
for,  the  men  of  these  two  divisions,  and  now  with  them, 
would  fight  to  the  end.  Chalmers'  division  moved  first, 
Armstrong  in  front,  to  meet  the  enemy  where  he  could 
found,  with  little  thought  that  this  was  to  be  their  last 
march,  and  to  Armstrong's  brigade  its  last  fight,  for  he 
alone,  without  the  whole  of  his  brigade,  was  to  meet  the 
shock  of  the  last  battle  of  the  war  so  far  as  I  know  in 
this  department,  or  indeed  anywhere  else. 

In  this  I  think  we  were  more  fortunate  than  our  com- 
rades of  the  other  divisions,  and  one  brigade,  which  by  some 
mistake  or  by  some  one's  fault,  whose  name  I  know  not, 
never  reached  Selma.  If  they  had  been  able  to  do  so,  the 
result  would  have  been  far  different,  but  regrets  now,  as 


234  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

well  as  then,  are  vain  and  useless.  We  halted  a  day  at 
Pickensville  on  our  march,  but  were  suddenly  ordered 
from  that  place,  and  soon  reached  Eutaw,  near  the  War- 
rior river.  Here  I  wrote  for  the  last  time  during  the  war 
to  my  wife,  and  from  this  letter  I  will  quote  to  show  the 
situation  as  it  then  was,  or  as  I  viewed  it. 

Eutaw,  Alabama,  March  2jth,  1863. 

.  .  .  "While  we  are  halted  here,  waiting  for  a  pon-' 
toon  to  be  laid  across  the  Warrior  river,  I  thought  I 
would  write  to  you,  though  I  am  afraid  it  may  be  some 
time  before  you  get  the  letter,  as  I  understand  the  bot- 
tom is  overflowed.  We  are  now  on  the  march  to  Selma, 
Alabama,  about  sixty  miles  from  here.  I  don't  know 
where  we  will  go  from  there,  but  as  the  enemy  are  re- 
ported advancing  on  Selma  from  Pensacola,  I  suppose  we 
will  go  to  meet  them.  .  .  .  Our  prospects  for  a  suc- 
cessful and  honorable  ending  of  the  war  are  gloomy,  and 
unless  the  God  of  nations  and  of  battles  interposes  His 
Almighty  power,  or  raises  up  friends  for  us  abroad,  I  see 
no  hope  for  us.  This  you  know  was  what  I  thought 
when  I  was  at  home  a  few  weeks  ago,  yet  I  do  not  wish 
my  opinion  made  public,  as  I  do  not  want  to  increase  the 
demoralization  and  discouragement.  We  have  rumors 
now  that  General  Johnston  has  routed  Sherman  in  North 
Carolina,  and  if  this  be  true  it  will  enable  us  to  hold  on 
for  some  time  yet,  and  in  the  providence  of  God  may 
bring  about  a  better  state  of  things. 

"I  am  sorry  to  say  a  great  many  have  deserted,  not  so 
many,  I  think,  from  our  cavalry,  though  some  from  it. 
I  saw  a  poor  fellow  shot  for  desertion  a  short  time  ago. 
He  belonged  to  the  brigade,  and  was  shot  in  presence  of 
it,  but  I  fear  it  has  failed  to  check  the  evil.  There  are 
men  enough  at  home  to-day,  who  belong  to  the  army,  to 
drive  the  Yankees  from  the  south,   and  gain  our  inde- 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  235 

pendence,  without  help  from  any  quarter,  but  they  will 
not  come  out  and  cannot  be  driven  out.  They  basely 
prefer  to  dodge  about  the  swamps  like  runaway  negroes, 
and  try  to  save  their  miserable  lives,  to  coming  manfully 
to  the  assistance  of  their  comrades  in  the  field,  who  may 
be  ultimately  overborne  by  numbers  and  forced  to  yield." 
All  the  men  in  the  field  felt  very  bitterly 
towards  the  skulkers  at  home,  whose  numbers  had  been 
for  some  time  increasing,  though  all  at  home  or  absent 
from  the  army  were  not  skulkers,  but  many  true  soldiers, 
debilitated  from  disease  or  wounds,  were,  at  the  time  I 
wrote,  absent  from  our  brigade,  and  this  was  no  doubt 
true  of  all  the  other  commands  in  the  army,  infantry,  ar- 
tillery and  cavalry  alike. 

But  if  we  could  have  had  them  all,  we  could  not  have 
defeated  the  overwhelming  force  our  enemy  had;  no,  not 
if  we  could  have  had  ever}'  man  in  the  south  would  we 
have  been  able  now  to  cope  with  this  force. 

It  is  also  true  that  on  various  pretexts  men  stayed  at 
home  who  ought  to  have  been  in  the  army,  not  deserters 
in  the  legal  sense,  for  the}*  had  never  been  in  the  army, 
or  had  at  an  early  day  got  out.  There  were  a  good  many 
of  this  class,  and  these  were  worse  than  the  real  deserters, 
and  were  to  a  great  extent  responsible  for  desertions  from 
the  army.  There  were  a  good  many  "fire  eaters,"  who 
went  out  at  first,  expecting  to  win  fame  and  glory  in  a 
little  time,  but  who  were  like  the  seed  in  the  parable, 
which  was  sown  on  stony  ground,  which  ' '  forthwith 
sprung  up,  because  they  had  no  deepness  of  earth;  and 
when  the  sun  was  up  they  were  scorched;  and  because 
they  had  no  root  they  withered  away."  Some  of  this 
class  were  loud  in  their  blame  of  our  generals  for  sur- 
rendering, and  said  the  fight  ought  to  have  gone  on  while 
a  man  was  left  to  hold  a  gun.  Later  I  will  give  an  in- 
stance. 


236  REMINISCENCES   OF  A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 

But  it  seems  to  me  I  am  taking  up  too  much  time  with 
this  digression,  but  to  be  perfectly  candid  I  hesitate  about 
proceeding  with  my  story,  and  would  be  glad  if  I  could 
leave  out  what  I  have  yet  to  say  of  our  brigade  in  the 
war,  for  though  thirty-five  years  have  passed,  it  is  painful 
to  think  of,  and  though  as  I  view  it  through  the  lapse  of 
years,  glorious  in  its  ending,  painful  to  tell. 

We  crossed  the  Warrior  river,  and  moved  directly  to 
Marion.  We  now  knew  that  the  enemy  we  had  to  meet 
was  not  from  Pensacola,  but  was  a  strong  cavalry  force 
under  General  Wilson,  who  was  rapidly  nearing  Selma 
from  north  Alabama. 

Selma  was  one  of  the  few  places  of  importance  in  the 
interior,  which  was  left  in  our  possession,  and  which  had 
so  far  escaped  the  ravages  of  the  war.  An  arsenal  was 
located  at  the  place,  and  many  guns  had  been  cast  there, 
as  I  now  recall,  from  iron  gotten  at  the  mines  near  Monte 
Vallo,  and  there  was  a  large  supply  of  ammunition  also 
stored  there.  This  was  Wilson's  objective  point,  and 
events  proved  him  to  be  an  able  soldier.  When  we 
reached  Marion,  the  young  recruit  from  New  York,  Henry 
Elliot,  sought  and  obtained  permission  to  visit  his  aunt, 
who  lived  near  the  place.  He  found  her,  but  I  suspect 
was  rather  coldly  received,  as  I  gathered  from  him  when 
he  returned  next  morning  to  camp,  though  she  had,  he 
told  me,  given  him  a  little  money.  She  did  not  share  his 
enthusiasm,  and  I  have  no  doubt  told  him  he  had  much 
better  have  stayed  in  the  north,  for  I  noticed  he  seemed 
depressed. 

The  romance  of  the  war  was  indeed  gone,  only  a  sense 
of  duty  sustaining  the  cause,  both  in  the  army  and  among 
those  citizens  who  had  not  yet  yielded  to  the  spirit  of  sub- 
mission, which  was  spreading  abroad  and  casting  its  bale- 
ful influence  over  the  army  like  a  dark  shadow  presaging 
our  cominsr  doom. 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR. 


237 


From  Marion  we  moved  on  the  last  day  of  March,  leav- 
ing our  wagon  trains  behind  us,  and  which  we  were  not 
to  see  again,  and  going  not  directly  to  Selma,  but  to  some 
point  on  a  road  leading  directly  north  from  that  place,  by 
which  road  it  was  now  understood  Wilson  was  advancing 
with  no  one  in  his  front  to  oppose  him. 

On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  April  we  reached  this 
road,  at  a  point  some  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  north  of 
Selma.  Forrest,  with  his  usual  impetuosity,  had  reached 
it  before  us  with  his  body  guard  and  a  few  other  men, 
and  had  received  the  charge  of  Wilson's  advance  guard, 
literally  cutting  it  to  pieces.  This  affair,  I  think,  delayed 
a  little  the  advance  of  Wilson,  or  made  him  more  cau- 
tious, for  he  did  not  come  in  sight  of  the  brigade,  and 
late  in  the  afternoon  we  were  ordered  to  fall  back  to 
Selma.  We  marched  till  late  in  the  night,  it  being  very 
dark,  and  at  one  place  I  remember  we  were  much  delayed 
in  crossing  a  bridge  over  a  narrow  stream  with  steep 
banks,  a  bridge  in  such  bad  fix  that  it  was  necessary  the 
men  should  lead  their  horses  over  it.  This  took  a  long 
time,  and  Colonel  Pinson,  having  crossed,  went  on  some 
distance,  to  stop  and  get  the  men  in  order  as  they  came 
up  in  the  darkness,  leaving  me  to  hurry  them  forward. 
I  went  across  the  bridge  myself,  and  then  dismounted  and 
waited:  Once,  becoming  impatient,  I  went  over  the 
bridge  to  where  I  had  left  our  adjutant,  Johnson,  to 
hurry  up  the  men,  and  it  seeming  to  me  that  he  was  get- 
ting along  too  slow,  I  spoke  rather  sharply  to  him,  which 
before  the  dark  of  next  day  I  would  have  given  anything 
if  I  had  not  done.  He  was  a  brave  soldier  and  a  good 
officer,  and  a  great  favorite  with  me  as  with  all  the  com- 
mand, and  never  before  had  I  done  so. 

Finally  all  had  crossed,  and  we  all  got  together  again, 
going  into  camp  till  daylight.  Later  in  the  day,  the  2d 
of  April,  we  moved  on  into  Selma,  crossing,  I  remember, 


238  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

some  five  or  six  miles  north  of  that  place  a  deep  stream 
with  steep  banks  and  a  good  bridge,  which  struck  me  as 
a  good  place  to  make  a  stand;  but  we  moved  on  and 
through  the  breastworks  which  had  long  before  been 
thrown  up  for  the  defense  of  the  place,  though  it  had 
never  been  garrisoned,  halting  near  the  bank  of  the  Ala- 
bama river  in  a  beautiful  grove  just  east  of  the  town  but 
inside  the  works.  These  works  extended  in  a  semi-circle 
around  the  town,  and  at  some  little  distance  from  the 
main  part  of  the  town,  going,  as  I  remember,  to  the  river 
on  each  side;  and  to  have  been  properly  garrisoned  would, 
I  think,  have  taken  twenty  thousand  men,  perhaps  more. 
Here,  at  our  bivouac,  forage  was  procured  for  the  horses 
and  rations  for  the  men,  and  here  we  rested  till  three  or 
four  in  the  afternoon.  We  had  not  seen  a  soldier;  we  did 
not  know  where  Chalmers  was  with  the  other  brigade  of 
the  division  and  a  part  of  ours.  Jackson  with  his  division 
was  way  off  towards  Tuscaloosa.  Before  I  proceed  with 
my  own  account  of  what  befell  us  on  this  fateful  day,  I 
will  give  General  Taylor's  account  of  the  command  For- 
rest had  with  him  and  where  the  other  part  was,  and  the 
supposed  reasons  why  it  was  not  on  hand  to  aid  in  the 
defense  of  Selma,  and  his  dramatic  account  of  his  own 
escape,  for  he  was  in  Selma,  though  we  did  not  see  him. 
"Our  information  of  the  enemy  had  proved  extremely 
accurate,  but  in  this  instance  the  federal  commander 
moved  with  unusual  rapidity,  and  threw  out  false  signals. 
Forrest  with  one  weak  brigade  (this  was  Armstrong's), 
was  in  the  path,  but  two  of  his  brigadiers  permitted  them- 
selves to  be  deceived  by  reports  of  the  enemy's  move- 
ments towards  Columbus,  Mississippi,  and  turned  west, 
while  another  went  into  camp  under  some  misconception 
of  orders.  Forrest  fought  as  if  the  world  depended  on 
his  arm,  and  sent  to  advise  me  of  the  deceit  practiced  on 
two  of  his  brigades,  but  hoped  to   stop  the  enemy  if  he 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR. 


239 


could  get  up  the  third,  the  absence  of  which  he  could  not 
account  for.  I  directed  such  railway  plant  as  we  had  to 
be  moved  out  on  the  roads,  retaining  a  small  yard  engine 
to  take  me  off  at  the  last  moment.  There  was  nothing 
more  to  be  done.  Forrest  appeared,  horse  and  man 
covered  with  blood,  and  announced  the  enemy  at  his 
heels,  and  that  I  must  move  at  once  to  escape  capture. 
I  felt  anxious  for  him,  but  he  said  he  was  unhurt  and 
would  cut  his  way  through,  as  most  of  the  men  had  done, 
whom  he  had  ordered  to  meet  him  west  of  the  Cahawba. 
My  engine  started  towards  Meridian  and  barely  escaped. 
Before  headway  was  attained,  the  enemy  was  upon  us, 
and  capture  seemed  inevitable.  Fortunately  the  group 
of  horsemen  near  prevented  their  comrades  from  firing, 
so  we  only  had  to  risk  a  fusilade  from  a  dozen,  who  fired 
wild.  The  driver  and  stoker,  both  negroes,  were  as  game 
as  possible,  and,  as  we  thundered  across  the  Cahawba 
bridge  all  safe,  raised  a  loud  "Yah,  Yah"  of  triumph,  and 
smiled  like  two  sable  angels. ' ' 

Rested  and  refreshed  we  moved  late  in  the  afternoon 
towards  the  works  again,  taking  a  road  that  led  a  little 
northeast,  but  did  not  pass  through  the  works  on  this 
road,  but  when  we  reached  them,  turned  and  moved 
west  along  them.  I  remember  where  the  works  crossed 
the  road  I  speak  of,  there  was  a  small  force,  some  two  or 
three  hundred  Alabama  state  troops,  posted.  We  marched 
perhaps  a  mile  inside  the  works,  till  we  came  to  the  road 
by  which  we  had  entered.  The  First  Mississippi  was  at 
the  head  of  our  column,  and  I  was  with  Pinson  at  the 
head  of  the  regiment.  Just  in  front  of  us  Generals  For- 
rest and  Armstrong,  with  some  members  of  their  respec- 
tive staffs,  were  riding.  In  front  of  the  works  at  this 
place,  was  an  open  field  for  half  or  three  quarters  of  a 
mile,  and  the  road  ran  through  this,  gradually  ascending 
to  a  ridge  beyond  which  we  could  not  see.      On  the  brow 


240  REMINISCENCES  OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

of  this  ridge  several  horsemen  were  seen,  there  may  have 
been  twenty-five  or  thirty.  Naturally,  we  supposed  they 
were  our  picket,  they  were  too  far  off  to  distinguish  uni- 
forms, but  soon  a  good  many  more  appeared,  and  it  was 
evident  it  was  the  enemy.  Twenty  minutes  sooner  and 
they  would  have  been  in  the  works  without  firing  a  shot. 
Whose  business  it  was  to  look  after  a  picket  on  the  road 
I  don't  know,  but  I  do  know  that  there  ought  to  have 
been  one  there.  It  is  a  fact  moreover,  that  no  troops 
were  in  the  works  at  this  point  when  we  reached  this  road. 
Our  regiment  was  dismounted  (I  don't  remember  whether 
Ballentine's  was  or  not  just  then)  and  deployed  in  front 
of  the  works  on  the  left  of  the  road,  the  horses,  except 
field  officers',  being  sent  with  usual  horseholders  to  a 
clump  of  woods  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  the  rear. 

We  advanced  a  little  ways,  perhaps  a  hundred  and  fifty 
yards,  when  about  an  equal  force  of  the  enemy  appeared, 
dismounted;  their  horses  had  been  withdrawn  beyond  the 
ridge  and  where  not  in  sight,  and  shots  were  exchanged 
at  long  range,  without  damage  to  us  or,  I  presume,  to 
them.  I  never  understood  the  purpose  of  deploying  us  in 
front  of  the  works,  but  we  were  soon  recalled,  and  our 
regiment  occupied  the  works  to  the  left,  extending  from 
the  road  to  a  deep  but  narrow  ravine,  which  the  works 
crossed,  and  which  ran  for  a  little  ways  in  front  of  the 
works  on  our  extreme  left.  Near  the  road  was  a  special 
fortification  or  fort,  in  which  a  few  hundred  men  could 
find  shelter,  and  embrasures  for  guns  through  the  main 
works.  Here  one,  I  believe  two  guns  were  now  placed. 
Ballentine's  regiment  was  in  the  works  on  the  right  of 
the  road,  and  I  believe  this  is  all  of  Armstrong's  brigade 
that  was  present,  though  there  may  have  been  another 
regiment  still  farther  to  the  right;  if  so,  I  have  forgot- 
ten it. 

About  half  way  to  the  extreme  left  of  the  First  Missis- 


LNT    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


24I 


sippi,  which  rested  on  the  ravine  spoken  of,  there  was  a 
high  earthworks  projecting  at  right  angles  from  the 
breastworks,  perhaps  thirty  feet,  as  well  as  I  now  recall 
the  scene.  This  was,  I  suppose,  intended  to  prevent  an 
enfilading  fire  if  an  enemy  should  gain  possession  of  the 
works  on  either  side  of  it.  This  has  a  technical  name;  I 
believe  it  is  salient.  Near  this  work  I  had  my  horse  tied; 
he  was  a  very  fine  one  I  had  lately  been  able  to  buy  from 
a  citizen  of  Greenboro,  Mississippi.  I  walked  up  then  to 
the  fort,  and  it  was  agreed  between  Colonel  Pinson  and 
myself  that  if  an  assault  was  made  on  the  wrorks  I  should 
take  charge  of  the  left,  as  the  line  was  a  long  one,  and 
because  of  these  works  mentioned  the  left  could  not  be 
seen  from  the  fort,  and  Major  Simmons  should  remain 
near  the  right  and  near  him.  Forrest,  Armstrong,  Pin- 
son  and  myself,  with  some  other  officers,  were  at  the  fort, 
and  an  occasional  shell  was  fired  at  the  ridge  which  hid 
the  enemy  from  us.  They  presently  brought  up  a  gun 
and  returned  our  fire,  and  we  all  supposed  this  would  be 
about  the  extent  of  the  fight  that  day,  for  none  of  us 
thought  the  enemy  would  assault  the  works,  exposed  as 
they  would  be  in  an  open  field  for  some  hundreds  of  yards. 
I  make  no  doubt  Forrest  was  either  cursing  Chalmers  for 
not  coming  up,  or  praying  that  he  might  come  in  the 
night.  While  we  were  all  looking — the  sun  was  nearly 
down — a  long,  dark  line  of  men  appeared  on  the  brow  of 
the  ridge;  they  moved  slowly  forward  for  a  while,  and 
then  broke  into  a  cheer  and  charged,  full  three  thousand 
men,  as  I  was  afterwards  told  by  an  officer  in  the  charge. 
We  could  not  have  had  more  than  one  thousand  men  in  a 
line  at  least  four  hundred  yards  long;  the  First  Missis- 
sippi having,  I  know,  about  four  hundred.  I  hastened 
to  my  place  in  line,  and  was  barely  in  time  to  caution  the 
men  not  to  fire  till  I  gave  the  word,  as  they  were  as  yet 
too  far  awav  for  our  fire  to  be  effectual. 
16 


242  REMINISCENCES   OF  A   MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

Behind  the  dismounted  men  now  rapidly  approaching 
could  be  seen  in  the  distance,  on  the  brow  of  the  ridge,  a 
strong  column  of  mounted  men,  waiting  the  favorable 
moment  when  one  should  come,  to  charge.  I  could  not 
restrain  the  men  near  me;  they  began  firing  too  soon. 
But  as  the  enemy  came  nearer  I  could  plainly  see  the 
deadly  effects  of  our  fire,  though  it  did  not  check  the 
enemy,  who  by  this  time  had  gotten  so  near  that  they 
were  in  equal  danger  in  advancing  or  retreating.  I  could 
not  see  what  was  going  on  at  the  right,  because  of  this 
salient  I  have  mentioned;  but  in  my  immediate  front  the 
enemy  had  gotten  to  the  ravine  and  were  crowding  into 
it  for  protection  from  our  fire.  At  the  particular  point 
spoken  of  they  were,  many  of  them,  within  twenty  feet 
of  the  breastworks.  Stepping  on  the  banquette  at  the 
base  of  the  parapet,  I  fired  my  Tranter  five  times  into  the 
struggling  mass,,  and  had  commenced  to  reload  when  I 
heard  wild  cheering  to  the  right.  There  were  four  com- 
panies with  me  (two  I  remember,  Captain  Cravens'  and 
Captain  Montgomery's);  and  knowing  the  enemy  in  my 
immediate  front  were  in  fact  repulsed,  and  that  two  com- 
panies would  be  able  to  hold  the  works,  I  ordered  the 
two  nearest  me  to  follow  to  the  right.  As  I  came  round 
the  salient  I  saw  Forrest,  Armstrong,  their  staffs,  and 
some  other  mounted  men,  with  one  or  two  caissons,  going 
at  headlong  speed  towards  the  city. 

Then  it  was  that  "  bloody  with  spurring,  fiery  red  with 
haste ' '  he  burst  into  the  presence  of  General  Taylor, 
where  he  was  seated  on  his  engine  as  stated  by  him. 

I  knew  that  all  was  lost.  The  right  of  the  regiment 
was  rapidly  retreating,  Pinson  with  them,  and  calling 
halt  at  every  step.  There  was  no  time  to  speak  to  him, 
and  hastily  calling  to  the  men  near  me,  unhitching  my 
horse  at  the  same  time,  we  fell  back  to  the  ravine  in  our 
rear,  my  horse  falling  dead  before  we  got  to  it,  though 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  243 

only  a  little  way,  perhaps  a  hundred  feet,  to  the  point 
where  I  wanted  to  enter  it.  I  could  see  the  enemy  pour- 
ing over  the  works  to  the  right,  not  a  hundred  yards 
away,  and  the  mounted  column  fast  approaching.  By  the 
time  I  reached  the  ravine,  with  the  men  who  were  near 
me,  the  enemy  was  on  its  brink  and  firing  down  upon  us. 
Seeing  it  impossible  to  get  away,  I  gave  the  last  order  I 
ever  gave  during  the  war,  and  that  was  to  the  men  to 
throw  down  their  arms.  In  a  moment  a  crowd  of  blue 
coats  was  around  us.  I  suppose  I  had  fifty  men  with  me 
under  Captain  Cravens.  Captain  Montgomery  had  got 
across  the  ravine,  and  he  was  one  of  the  few  men  of  the 
regiment  who  escaped  either  death,  wounds  or  capture. 

I  saw  at  the  time  no  commissioned  officer  with  our 
captors,  the  first  man  getting  to  me  being  a  sergeant,  as 
I  knew  from  his  chevrons.  He  demanded  my  pistol. 
After  having  fired  it,  I  had  commenced  to  reload  it,  but 
only  got  two  cartridges  in,  without  capping  those.  I 
handed  it  to  him,  and  he  asked  for  my  pocketbook.  I 
took  it  out,  and  said  to  him,  "  I  have  a  locket  with  a  por- 
trait of  my  wife,  which  I  would  like  to  keep."  He  said, 
"  Certainly,"  and  I  opened  the  book  to  take  it  out.  As 
I  did  so  he  saw  confederate  money  in  it,  and  said  if  this 
was  all  the  kind  of  money  I  had,  he  did  not  want  it. 
This  was  the  ' '  unkindest  cut  of  all. ' '  Replying  I  had 
no  other  money,  I  put  the  book  back  in  my  pocket.  He 
looked  up  and  said,  "  Give  me  your  hat."  Now  my  hat 
was  a  new  one  which  had  been  smuggled  from  Memphis 
into  Bolivar  count3r,  and  my  wife  had  looped  it  on  one 
side  and  embroidered  a  star  on  it.  I  prized  it  highly,  and 
hated  to  give  it  up.  The  sergeant  himself  was  bare- 
headed, having  lost  his  hat  in  the  charge,  and  would  take 
no  denial,  so  I  gave  it  to  him  with  as  good  a  grace  as 
possible.  All  this  took  much  less  time  to  do  than  to  tell. 
He  ordered  us  all  to  the  rear,  guarded  by  the  men  with 


244  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIA.N, 

him.  As  we  went  back  the  sergeant  kept  by  my  side, 
for  he  knew  my  rank  and  was  proud  of  his  capture.  Fir- 
ing still  continued  towards  the  city,  as  our  fleeing  men 
were  pursued. 

As  we  went  back  towards  our  fort,  spoken  of  at  the 
works,  we  met  some  stragglers  of  the  federal  army,  and 
one  of  these  stepped  to  me,  and  putting  his  gun,  a  Spencer 
carbine,  at  my  breast,  with  an  oath,  was  about  to  shoot 
me,  when  the  brave  sergeant  at  my  side  threw  his  gun 
up,  and  standing  between  us  cursed  him  for  a  cowardly 
scoundrel,  who  had  shirked  the  fight,  and  now  wanted  to 
murder  prisoners.  For  one  brief  moment,  helpless  and 
unarmed,  I  thought  I  was  gone. 

We  were  soon  at  the  fort  and  we  could  hear  this  inci- 
dent discussed  by  our  captors,  and  some  thought  no  pris- 
oners ought  to  be  taken  in  retaliation,  it  was  said,  for  the 
killing  of  federals  the  day  before,  in  the  charge  on  General 
Forrest's  small  command,  which  I  have  related,  for  it  was 
a  rumor,  as  I  found  afterwards,  that  some  of  their  men 
had  offered  to  surrender  and  had  been  refused  quarter. 
It  was  of  course  not  true,  but  I  make  no  doubt  it  cost 
some  of  our  men  their  lives  that  day. 

There  were  brutal  men  in  both  armies,  like  the  coward 
who  wanted  to  kill  me  in  cold  blood,  but  they  were  the 
exception  and  not  the  rule.  I  had  to  this  time  looked 
anxiously  for  a  commissioned  officer,  for  while  my  little 
sergeant,  he  was  a  small  man,  was  I  was  sure  too  brave 
to  be  cruel,  yet  I  much  preferred  to  see  some  officer  of 
rank.  The  sun  was  down  and  a  major  belonging,  as  I 
was  told,  to  General  Wilson's  staff,  came  up,  and  to  him  I 
introduced  myself  and  related  what  had  happened  and 
what  we  heard,  and  he  at  once  called  the  sergeant  to 
him  and  gave  him  stringent  orders  to  see  that  we  were 
protected.    I  knew  at  the  time  the  name  of  this  sergeant 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  245 

and  of  this  major  also,  but  have  long  since  forgotten  them. 
As  the  dusk  came  on,  Colonel  Pinson,  who  to  that  time  I 
hoped  had  escaped,  Major  Simmons,  Captain  Taylor, 
Lester  and  other  officers,  and  men  of  the  regiment  and 
of  Ballentine's  regiment  were  brought  to  us  until  the 
work  around  the  embrasures  would  not  hold  them  all. 
In  fact,  the  first  Mississippi  cavalry  had  fought  its  last 
fight  and  almost  to  a  man  had  been  killed,  wounded  or 
captured.  A  fate  to  be  preferred  I  thought  to  that  of 
our  comrades  in  the  division  and  brigade  who  by  some 
blunder  had  failed  to  be  with  us,  and  who  yet  in  a  few 
weeks  were  compelled  to  yield.  I  will  never  forget  the 
horrors  of  that  night,  as  we  talked  over  the  fights,  took 
note  of  who  was  with  us,  and  wondered  who  were  gone, 
for  while  nearly  every  one  had  some  tale  to  tell  of  who 
he  had  seen  fall,  yet  we  did  not  know  all.  The  federal 
loss  in  front  of  our  regiment  had  been  very  heavy,  and 
all  night  long  ambulances  were  running  gathering  up 
their  wounded  and  even  some  of  their  dead.  We  knew 
that  our  dead  and  wounded  were  lying  on  the  field  the 
whole  night  long,  and  we  were  powerless.  For  the  dead 
they  were  at  rest,  "no  sound  could  awaken  them  to 
glory  again,"  but  for  the  wounded  in  that  chilly  night, 
the  second  of  April,  1S65,  we  thought  of  their  sufferings 
and  it  intensified  our  own  sorrows.  All  at  once,  with  a 
sudden  crash  of  sound,  the  air  of  "Dixie"  broke  upon 
our  ears  from  a  band  just  far  enough  away  to  mellow  its 
tone.  It  seemed  like  adding  insult  to  injury.  There 
was  no  sleep  for  us  that  night,  and  I  longed  yet  dreaded 
to  see  the  daylight  come. 

I  have  never  seen  the  report  which  General  Wilson 
made  of  this  battle,  neither  Forrest  nor  Armstrong  ever 
made  a  report,  and  its  story  is  now  written  for  the  first 
time.     The  sole  reference  to  it  is  the  brief  statement  of 


246  REMINISCENCES    OF    A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

General  Taylor,  which  I  have  quoted,  but  there  are  men 
yet  living,  how  many  I  do  not  know,  the  gallant  Arm- 
strong among  others,  who  when  they  read  this  story, 
as  I  hope  some  will  do,  will  again  share  with  me  the 
fierce  excitement  of  the  fight  and  the  sorrows  of  that 
night  of  defeat. 


IN    PEACE   AXD   WAR.  247 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Walk  over  battle-field  under  guard — Dead  and  wounded — Henry- 
Elliott,  tribute  to  him — Adjutant  Johnson  mortally  wounded — 
Put  in  stockade — Kind  treatment  by  federal  officers  and  men — 
March  to  Columbus,  Georgia — Lieutenant-Colonel  White,  of 
Indiana — Conversation  with  him — Colonel  Pinson  and  myself 
paroled  at  Columbus — Make  our  way  back  to  Mississippi — 
The  war  over — Death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  sorrow  at  the  South — 
Meridian,  Ragsdale  House,  cost  of  coffee  at  meals — Trip  home 
and  incidents — Home  again,  negroes  free — Doubts  as  to  future 
— Determined  to  stand  by  the  state  to  the  end. 

The  long  night  came  to  an  end  at  last,  and  the  morn- 
ing dawned  upon  as  woebegone  a  lot  of  cavalrymen  as  was 
ever  seen  during  the  war.  Tired,  hungry,  sleepy  and 
dirty,  we  were  a  hard  looking  set  I  imagine  if  we  looked 
as  bad  as  we  felt.  It  was  not  long  before  the  sergeant, 
who  had  taken  me  prisoner  and  then  saved  my  life,  came 
to  see  how  I  was  getting  along,  for  he  seemed  to  have 
taken  a  fancy  to  me.  He  was  wearing  my  hat,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  took  it  home  with  him,  if  he  lived  to  get 
home,  as  I  hope  he  did.  As  long  as  I  was  with  the 
federals,  this  man  was  always,  when  he  could,  trying  to 
do  something  for  me.  His,  according  to  my  recollection, 
was  an  Iowa  regiment.  For  a  hat  I  had  picked  up  on 
the  field  before  we  got  to  the  fort  a  coarse  hat,  such  as 
was  worn  by  the  federal  soldiers,  which  must  have  been 
the  one  he  dropped,  as  I  had  seen  no  other  one  bare- 
headed except  him.  One  of  the  Bolivar  troops,  L.  M. 
Hunter,  who  but  recently  died  an  honored  citizen  of  the 
county,  had  a  good  hat,  which  fitted  me,  and  kindly  ex- 
changed with  me. 


248  REMINISCENCES   OF    A   illSSISSIPPIAN', 

In  the  course  of  the  morning  Colonel  Pinsou,  Captain 
Taylor  and  myself  requested  permission  to  go  over  the 
field  and  see  our  dead  and  wounded.  This  was  promptly 
granted,  and  a  guard  went  with  us.  From  the  works 
to  as  far  as  some  of  our  men  had  gone  trying  to  escape, 
nearly  half  a  mile,  we  found  them  lying,  though  some 
of  our  wounded  had  been  picked  up  and  were  in  hospital 
under  the  care  of  our  surgeons. 

As  we  went  over  the  ground  we  found  that  the  pockets 
of  the  dead  had  been  turned,  but  little  repaid  the  trouble 
of  the  vandals.  One  brave  fellow,  I  knew  him  well,  who 
had  gotten  farther  than  any  other  of  those  who  were 
dead,  had  his  pockets  also  turned  out,  and  by  his  side 
lay  a  small  Bible.  He  had  been  noted  for  his  piety  as 
well  as  for  his  courage,  and  his  influence  for  good  was 
marked.  He  belonged,  I  think,  to  Captain  Lester's 
company,  but  this  matters  little,  he  was  a  good  man,  a 
brave  soldier,  and  went  to  his  reward. 

As  we  passed  along  we  came  to  Henry  Elliot,  lying 
upon  his  back  helpless  with  both  legs  and  one  arm 
broken.  There  he  had  lain  the  long  night  through, 
with 'no  one  to  aid  him  or  even  give  him  a  drink  of 
water.  Pale,  but  composed,  the  seal  of  death  was  on  his 
face,  but  he  was  fully  conscious,  and  he  told  me  when  he 
first  was  hit  he  stopped  and  tried  to  surrender,  but  the 
man  who  first  got  to  him  shot  him  again  and  again 
and  left  him  for  dead.  The  guard  who  was  with  us 
said  it  was  because  he  had  on  a  federal  uniform,  but 
this  was  not  true,  though  he  did  have  on  a  pair  of  sky 
blue  pants.  Even  if  it  had  been  true  it  was  a  cruel, , 
cowardly  act,  for  to  look  at  him  was  to  see  he  was  only 
a  young  boy.  I  recall  that  on  the  day  before,  in  the 
midst  of  the  fight,  I  noticed  him  and  spoke  to  him  and 
he  had  answered  with  a  bright  smile. 

Poor  boy,  we  could  do  nothing  for  him,  but  in  a  little 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  249 

time  he  was  taken  to  the  hospital,  where  before  another 
day  his  brave  and  cheerful  spirit  went  to  its  home,  and 
he  sleeps  in  the  soil  of  the  state  he  loved  so  well,  and 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  place  of  his  birth. 

Years  ago  I  wrote  his  romantic  story  for  the  "Memphis 
Appeal,"  and  in  that  letter  applied  to  him  those  beautiful 
lines  of  Moore,  when  the  Peri,  a  child  of  air,  seeking  a 
gift  which  would  give  her  entrance  to  the  gates  of  Eden, 
caught  from  a  dying  hero  and  patriot  the 

"Last  glorious  drop  his  heart  had  shed, 

Before  his  free-born  spirit  fled." 
And— 

"Be  this,"  she  cried,  as  she  winged  her  flight, 
"My  welcome  gift  at  the  gates  of  light, 

Though  foul  are  the  drops  that  oft  distil 

On  the  field  of  warfare,  blood  like  this 

For  liberty  shed,  so  holy  is 

It  would  not  stain  the  purest  rill 

That  sparkles  among  the  bowers  of  bliss; 

Oh,  if  there  be  on  this  earthly  sphere 

A  boon,  an  offering  heaven  holds  dear, 

'Tis  the  last  libation  Liberty  draws 

From  the  heart  that  bleeds  and  breaks  in  her  cause." 

A  kind  lady  in  Bolivar  county  who  knew  his  story  and 
had  the  address  of  his  father  wrote  him  an  account  of 
Henry's  tragic  but  glorious  death;  but  whether  his  rela- 
tives at  Marion  ever  knew  I  do  not  know. 

Passing  on,  our  guards  took  us  to  the  hospital  hastily 
prepared  for  our  wounded,  and  there  we  found  among 
others  our  Adjutant  Johnson,  and  were  shocked  to  learn 
from  the  surgeon  in  charge,  Doctor  Montgomery',  that  his 
hours  were  numbered.  We  saw  him,  and  all  that  we 
could  say  to  cheer  him  we  did,  but  at  last  had  to  bid  him 
a  final  adieu,  for  that  night  he  died.  Many  others  of  the 
regiment  and  the  brigade  were  there,  and  we  saw  them 
all;  some  lived  and  some  died,  but  I  do  not  recall   the 


250  REMINISCENCES    OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

names  of  others.  Altogether,  about  one  hundred  in  the 
regiment  were  killed  and  wounded,  a  heavy  loss  for  the 
number  engaged,  and  about  as  many  more  in  Ballentine's 
regiment.  Having  seen  all  that  we  could  see,  we  were 
returned  to  our  place  of  confinement  in  the  fort.  As  we 
had  walked  over  the  field  a  fellow  had  taken  a  fancy  to 
Colonel  Pinson's  hat,  and  would  have  taken  it  away  from 
him,  but  our  guards  proved  to  be  as  kind-hearted  as  no 
doubt  they  were  brave,  and  would  not  permit  it. 

In  Selma  there  was  a  stockade  capable  of  holding  sev- 
eral thousand  men,  and  with  rude  barracks,  provided 
long  before  for  federal  prisoners,  and  it  seemed  like  the 
very  irony  of  fate  that  we  should  be  placed  in  them,  but 
late  that  afternoon  we  were  all  marched  to  the  stockade. 
Many  were  already  there,  and  the  place  was  well  filled. 
It  had  the  usual  dead-line,  beyond  which  no  man  could 
step  and  live.  But  while  these  precautions  were  taken, 
we  were  kindly  treated;  rations,  which  were  much 
needed,  were  provided  in  abundance,  and  all  prepared  to 
make  the  best  of  the  situation.  Colonel  Pinson  and  my- 
self were  invited  to  eat  with  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  regiment  guarding  us  (Lieutenant-Colonel  White,  of 
Indiana,  I  think,  for  I  know  later  we  were  placed  in  his 
charge),  and,  of  course,  were  taken  out  of  the  stockade 
for  that  purpose  and  returned  to  it  when  we  had  eaten. 
Nothing  could  have  been  in  better  taste  than  the  courtesy 
shown  us;  and  though  we  talked  of  the  fight  and  of  the 
war,  not  a  word  was  ever  said  which  could  have  made  us 
feel  that  we  were  prisoners.  Other  officers  of  this  regi- 
ment extended  the  same  hospitalities  to  other  of  our 
officers,  and  everything,  in  fact,  was  done  which  could 
be  done  to  make  us  comfortable.     I  am  glad  to  say  this. 

The  next  day  I  succeeded  in  getting  one  of  the  boys 
to  shave  me,  all  but  a  mustache,  and  cut  my  hair  as  close 
as  possible,  for  "graybacks"  were  plentiful  in  this  stock- 


IN   PEACE   AND    WAR.  25 1 

ade,  and  this  was  a  necessary  precaution.  I  do  n't  know 
where  the  razor  and  scissors  were  found;  I  suppose  we 
must  have  gotten  some  kind-hearted  enemy  to  get  them 
for  us  in  town.  For  myself,  I  was  quite  unwell  at  the 
time,  and  sought  and  obtained  without  trouble  a  parole 
which  would  enable  me  to  spend  the  time  in  the  city, 
only  being  required  to  report  every*  morning  at  the  bar- 
racks. There  was  a  lady  living  in  the  city,  a  Mrs. 
Marye,  whom  I  had  known  at  home,  and  I  went  to  her 
house  and  was  gladly  received,  and  by  her  kindly  cared 
for  while  we  stayed  in  Selma.  Her  husband  was  not  at 
home,  having  run  away  from  the  enemy,  so  she  said;  but 
I  had  reason  to  believe  he  was  secreted  in  the  house,  as 
he  was  not  a  soldier,  and  he  had  no  reason  to  run  that  I 
knew  of.  She  had  sought  and  obtained  a  federal  guard 
— two,  I  believe — who  remained  in  the  house,  and  had 
not  been  molested. 

General  Wilson  remained  in  Selma  about  a  week,  and 
then  crossed  the  Alabama  river,  taking  all  his  unwounded 
prisoners  with  him.  It  was  late  of  an  afternoon  before 
we,  the  prisoners,  got  over,  and  we  were  marched  till 
late  in  the  night.  The  prisoners,  except  the  officers, 
were  not  closely  guarded,  and  hundreds  escaped,  which, 
I  think,  was  part  of  his  plan,  to  scatter  them.  Others, 
the  next  day  on  the  march,  were  paroled  and  scattered 
all  along  the  road.  At  our  halt  the  next  day  about  noon, 
horses  were  taken  from  citizens,  and  before  long  all  the 
officers  were  mounted,  on  all  sorts  of  nags,  mules,  ponies 
and  old  plow-horses,  with  even'  variety  of  saddles  and 
bridles.  My  friendly  enemy  the  sergeant  brought  me  a 
pretty  roan  pony,  with  a  better  saddle  and  bridle  than 
most  had,  but  the  pony  had  one  drawback — he  was  blind. 
However,  with  the  business  I  had  before  me  it  did  not 
make  much  difference,  only  requiring  a  little  extra  care 
in  his  management. 


252  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

We  were,  all  told,  about  fifty  officers  mounted,  some 
had  escaped  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  before,  and  we 
were  now  turned  over  to  the  exclusive  control  of  Lieu- 
tenant- Colonel  White,  commanding  the  Indiana  regiment 
spoken  of.  He  was  kind  but  vigilant.  General  Wilson 
was  moving,  as  events  proved,  to  Columbus,  Georgia, 
and  met  with  no  opposition  on  the  way  except  a  slight 
skirmish  at  Montgomery,  Alabama.  Colonel  White  al- 
ways invited  Colonel  Pinson  and  myself  to  mess  with  him 
on  our  halts,  and  often  invited  one  or  the  other  of  us  to 
ride  with  him  at  the  head  of  his  column  on  the  march. 

We  were  the  officers  highest  in  rank  among  his  pris- 
oners. By  some  means,  after  we  had  passed  Montgomery, 
he  had  news  that  General  Lee  had  surrendered,  and  it 
was  on  the  day  that  he  had  heard  this  that,  riding  with 
him,  occurred  a  conversation  which  I  detailed  in  a  letter 
to  the  New  York  Sun  in  the  campaign  of  1876,  when  Mr. 
Tilden  was  a  candidate  for  President,  the  Sun  supporting 
him. 

The  Sun  published  altogether  four  letters  from  me  in 
that  campaign,  under  the  non  de  plume  of  Pro  Patria,  a 
much  abused  term,  and  one  often  used  by  demagogues. 

In  my  first  letter  I  related  the  circumstances  of  my 
capture,  the  cowardly  attempt  on  my  life,  and  my  rescue 
by  the  prompt  action  of  the  sergeant,  and  the  conversa- 
tion I  had  with  Colonel  White.  He  began  by  saying 
they  had  information  that  General  Lee  had  surrendered, 
that  he  thought  it  true,  and  said,  "You  had  all  just  as 
well  give  it  up  for  you  can  not  hope  to  win."  I  said,  "  I 
hope  it  is  not  true  that  Lee  has  surrendered,  you  can 
hardly  have  reliable  information,  but  if  it  be  true  (alas 
it  was  true)  the  south  is  not  yet  conquered,  we  can  fight 
a  long  time,  and  will  I  hope  yet  compel  a  recognition  of 
our  independence.  But,"  I  said,  "  Colonel,  if  you  are 
right  and  we  are  or  will  be  whipped,  I  hope  the  men  who 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  253 

have  fought  us  in  the  field  will  be  the  power  which  will 
decide  our  fate  and  not  the  politicians  who  have  staid  at 
home." 

He  said,  "  Of  that  you  need  have  no  fear,  the  people  of 
the  north  will  be  so  grateful  to  the  soldiers  that  they  will 
control  this  and  we  will  be  generous."  It  was  in  the 
hopes  that  Colonel  White  might  be  living  and  see  the 
letter  that  I  wrote,  and  failing  in  that,  other  soldiers 
might  see  it  and  support  Tilden,  who  represented  the 
moderate  sentiment  of  the  north,  as  opposed  to  the  ex- 
treme or  "bloody  shirt"  sentiment  of  the  Republican 
party  of  the  day,  which  now,  thank  heaven,  no  longer 
exists,  or  if  it  does,  it  is  only  with  a  few,  whose  hatred 
of  the  south  outweighs  every  other  consideration,  and  with 
as  much  reason  as  the  man  had  who  did  not  "  like  Dr. 
Fell,"  in  the  old  jingle  which  I  used  to  hear  when  I  was 
a  boy.     I  have  lost  this  letter  or  I  would  copy  it  here. 

At  Columbus,  Georgia,  I  thought  for  a  time  that  Gen- 
eral Wilson  had  met  with  a  serious  check  (I  could  hear 
but  not  see  the  fight),  but  he  did  not,  and  was  soon  in 
possession  of  that  place,  and  here  halted  for  a  day  or  two. 
I  had  not  been  well  for  some  time,  indeed  had  been  very 
sick  just  before  going  into  Columbus,  Mississippi,  as  a 
member  of  the  examining  board,  and  I  now  asked  to  be 
paroled.  Captain  Lester  also  was  sick,  and  a  major  be- 
longing to  an  Alabama  command,  who  was  a  prisoner, 
was  also  sick.  General  Wilson  agreed  to  give  us  paroles, 
and  decided  also  to  parole  Colonel  Pinson,  to  effect  an 
exchange  for  one  of  his  colonels  he  had  left  wounded  in 
Selma.  He  left  a  good  many  wounded,  but  was  espe- 
cially concerned  for  this  colonel,  whose  name  I  have  for- 
gotten, but  who  had  been  in  command  of  one  of  his 
brigades. 

We  who  were  to  be  paroled  went  to  General  Wilson's 
headquarters,  and  there  received  our  paroles  in  due  form, 


254  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

and  the  Alabama  major  told  us  he  had  a  friend  in  the 
city,  a  Mr.  Redd,  who  he  knew  would  give  us  shelter  till 
the  enemy  had  all  left.  We  were  allowed  to  keep  our 
old  horses,  or  rather  nothing  was  said  about  them,  and 
we  did  keep  them.  I  had  exchanged  my  blind  poney  for 
another  horse  with  one  of  the  officers  of  my  regiment,  as 
I  had  got  tired  watching  for  his  every  step,  and  guided 
by  the  major,  we  went  to  Mr.  Redd's.  He  received  us 
kindly,  and  we  hid  our  horses  in  his  back  yard.  Colonel 
Pinson  did  not  go  to  the  house  with  us  for  some  reason, 
but  was  to  follow  and  find  the  way,  which  the  major 
said  would  not  be  difficult,  as  his  friend  was  an  old  as 
well  as  prominent  citizen  of  the  place.  Meanwhile  the 
enemy  were  leaving,  and  I  supposed  had  all  left  town, 
and  Pinson  did  not  come.  Late  in  the  afternoon  I  con- 
cluded to  go  and  see  if  I  could  find  him.  I  went  straight 
to  the  main  business  street,  and  when  I  got  to  it,  found 
a  mob  of  negroes,  and  white  peopie  also,  who  seemed 
to  be  looting  the  stores,  and  I  judged  it  safest  to  go 
back  to  Mr.  Redd's.  On  my  way  back  I  met  a  pro- 
vost guard  of  federals  left  to  bring  up  stragglers,  and 
when  the  officer  in  command,  he  was  a  lieutenant,  saw 
me  he  turned  his  command  towards  me.  Supposing  he 
wished  see  if  I  were  paroled,  I  stopped  until  he  came 
up  and  took  my  parole  from  my  pocket,  remarking  at 
the  same  time,  "  I  have  a  parole."  He  was  now  in  reach 
of  me  and  stooping  over  he  lifted  my  hat  from  my  head 
saying,  "  I  don  't  want  to  see  your  parole,  I  was  looking 
for  a  better  hat  than  mine,  yours  is  not  as  good,"  and  he 
stuck  it  back  on  my  head  and  moved  on.  Nothing  in  all 
my  life  ever  before  or  since,  I  think,  made  me  so  angry, 
and  if  I  had  but  had  a  weapon,  I  believe  in  spite  of 
consequences  I  would  have  killed  him,  at  least  I  felt 
that  way  at  the  time,  though  no  doubt  prudence  would 
have  prevailed.     I  stood  still  in  helpless  anger  for  awhile, 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


255 


and  then  went  to  my  haven  of  refuge,  where  I  told  my 
adventures  to  sympathetic  hearers.  I  spent  the  night 
quietly  at  Mr.  Redd's,  and  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  bed, 
with  a  seat  at  table  for  supper  and  breakfast. 

Hearing  nothing  from  Colonel  Pinson,  next  morning, 
before  breakfast,  the  major  proposed  we  should  go  down 
town  and  inquire  for  him,  supposing  that  some  good  Sa- 
maritan had  taken  him  in  for  the  night.  Lester  was  too 
sick  to  go  with  us;  he  had  a  high  fever  and  was  confined 
to  bed.  Leaving  our  horses,  we  went  to  the  main  busi- 
ness street,  where  the  major  had  some  acquaintances,  and 
were  sitting  on  a  goods  box  talking  to  some  of  the  citi- 
zens, when  the  major  said,  "  Yonder  comes  Pinson  now." 
I  looked,  and  said,  "  No,  that  is  not  Pinson,"  but  as  he 
came  nearer  I  saw  the  major  was  right.  Pinson  was  a 
tall,  fine-looking  man,  and  he  was  now  mounted  on  an 
old,  broken-down  horse,  the  same  it  is  true  he  had  been 
riding,  but  much  too  small  for  him,  so  that  it  looked  as 
if  his  feet  almost  touched  the  ground,  and  on  his  head, 
instead  of  his  hat,  was  a  boy's  cap,  which  did  not  half 
cover  his  head.  The  major  and  myself  both  burst  into 
uncontrollable  laughter,  and  it  vexed  the  colonel,  for  he 
said,  "The  Yankees  did  not  take  my  hat,  I  lost  it  last 
night  where  I  stayed  all  night."  However,  he  soon 
joined  in  the  laugh,  for  with  the  little  cap  he  looked  com- 
ical. We  soon  went  to  Lester,  and  finding  him  too  sick 
to  think  of  travel,  and  that  he  was  in  good  hands,  we 
bade  adieu  to  him  and  to  our  Alabama  friend,  and  at  once 
commenced  our  long  ride  to  Mississippi.  Before  we  left 
the  colonel  got  himself  a  hat,  not  a  very  good  one,  but 
much  better  than  his  cap. 

With  the  horses  we  had,  we  necessarily  traveled  slowly, 
but  we  met  with  hospitality  along  the  road,  and  whiled 
away  our  time  talking  of  the  past.  We  had  been  together 
for  four  years  and  three  of  those  years  in  our  present  po- 


256  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

sitions,  without  ever  once  having  a  cloud  to  come  between 
us,  and  this  few,  if  any,  one  the  colonel  and  the  other  the 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  same  regiment,  could  say.  I 
never  knew  a  nobler  man,  a  braver  one  I  know  was  not 
in  our  army.  Of  the  future  we  talked  little;  we  both 
knew  the  war  was  to  all  intents  and  purposes  ended, 
though  neither  could  then  admit  it  to  the  other.  When 
at  last,  a  few  days  later,  we  parted,  it  was  I  know  with  mu- 
tual regard  and  mutual  respect.  He  became  a  prominent 
merchant  in  Memphis,  and  died  in  his  prime,  and  all  too 
soon,  but  I  do  know  that  he  was  full  of  honors  if  not 
of  years,  even  in  his  last  profession,  and  died  before  he 
could  feel  the  chilling  blasts  of  neglect,  and  the  lip  ser- 
vice which  would  give  him  praise  for  his  past,  while  it 
would  perhaps  deny  him  the  well  earned  rewards  which 
would  alone  make  life  in  old  age  happy  and  serene. 

His  wife  still  lives,  an  honored  lady,  and  still  bears  his 
name,  and  will  while  she  lives  have  the  love  and  respect 
of  his  surviving  comrades,  till  time  calls  them  to  him. 

When  we  arrived  at  Montgomery,  we  heard  of  the  as- 
sassination of  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  this  seemed  to  me  to  fill 
the  cup  of  bitterness  the  south  was  now  draining  to  over- 
flowing, for  he  was  a  kind-hearted  man,  and  having  saved 
the  union,  the  object  of  all  his  exertions,  and  the  cause 
for  which  the  people  of  the  north  had  poured  out  so  much 
blood  and  treasure,  we  felt  that  in  him  we  would  have  a 
friend,  who  would  be  not  only  willing,  but  able  to  stay 
the  hands  of  our  enemies,  the  politicians  of  the  time, 
whose  voices  were  still  for  war,  though  the  south  lay 
bleeding  and  helpless  at  their  feet. 

The  south  mourned  Mr.  Lincoln  with  a  deep  grief, 
perhaps,  with  a  better  reason  than  did  the  north,  and 
thank  heaven,  no  southern  man,  or  man  in  any  way  con- 
nected with  the  south,  had  anything  to  do  with  the  foul 
and  cowardly  deed  which  removed  him  from  earth.     By 


IN   PEACE   AND   WAR.  257 

the  time  we  reached  Selma,  we  knew  of  General  John- 
ston's surrender  in  Nortli  Carolina,  and  this  ended  the 
war,  though  General  Taylor  was  yet  to  make  his  terms 
with  the  enemy.  This  of  course  settled  the  question  of 
exchange  for  the  federal  colonel,  but  Pinson  visited  him, 
found  him  improving,  and  left  him  with  the  certainty 
that  he  would  soon  be  able  to  return  to  his  home.  We 
also  visited  some  of  our  wounded,  not  yet  recovered  from 
their  wounds,  but  these  were  in  a  fair  way  to  recover, 
and  soon  to  leave  for  their  homes,  though  some  whom 
we  had  left  in  the  hospital  had  died.  The  railroad  from 
Meridian  was  open  at  the  time  to  a  point  about  ten  or 
twelve  miles  from  Selma,  and  we  made  our  way  to  that 
place,  and  finally  got  to  Meridian. 

I  called  at  once  on  General  Taylor,  and  found  Gov- 
ernor Clark  who  had  come  down  from  Macon,  with  him, 
and  it  was  soon  agreed  there  was  nothing  left  for  me  to 
do,  but  to  make  my  way  home  as  best  I  could;  but  first 
I  went  up  with  the  governor  to  Macon  to  spend  a  night, 
as  I  learned  Major  Montgomery-  of  the"featherbeds"  was 
there,  and  was  going  home,  and  I  wished  his  company. 
When  I  got  to  Meridian  I  was  out  of  money,  and  I  had 
to  stay  a  day  or  two  before  I  could  get  away.  Fortu- 
nately, one  of  the  first  men  I  met  was  a  member  of  my 
own  regiment  who  had  been  wounded,  and  was  on  some 
post  dut)',  and  to  my  inquiry  as  to  whether  he  had  any 
money,  said  "yes,  a  man  who  owed  him  had  just  paid  him 
seventeen  thousand  dollars,  and  I  could  have  all  or  any 
part  of  it."  I  took  three  thousand  dollars  and  advised 
him  at  once  to  invest  the  balance  in  something,  to  make 
the  best  trade  he  could,  but  by  all  means  to  buy  some- 
thing. He  wanted  to  know  why,  if  I  thought  it  was 
going  to  be  worthless,  and  I  told  him  in  a  week  it  would 
not  be  worth  the  paper  it  was  printed  on.  Whether  he 
took  my  advice  I  do  not  know.  He  lived  in  Macon  (and 
17 


258  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

was  after  the  war  a  prosperous  merchant  there,  till  he 
died  a  few  years  ago) ,  and  when  I  went  to  that  place  a  few 
days  later,  I  arranged  to  have  the  debt  paid,  costing  me 
I  believe  ten  dollars  in  greenbacks  afterwards. 

I  put  up  at  the  Ragsdale  House,  at  that  time  a  large 
barnlike  two-story  house,  and  I  remember  there  was 
genuine  coffee  to  be  had  at  five  dollars  a  cup  extra,  and 
I  took  two  cups  each  meal  while  I  was  there.  What  the 
regular  fare  was  I  have  forgotten.  Major  Montgomery 
and  I  started  together  to  go  home,  and  made  our  way  by 
rail  to  the  nearest  point  to  Carrollton,  and  then  the  best 
way  we  could  to  that  place,  where  we  got  some  help  to 
the  Yazoo  river  at  the  point  where  the  city  of  Greenwood 
now  stands.  It  then  had  the  same  name,  but  there  was 
no  town  there.  Our  plan  was  to  cross  the  Yazoo  at  this 
place  and  walk  to  McNut,  as  the  road  to  that  place  was 
not  under  water,  and  there  take  dugouts  home,  as  the 
bottom  was  overflowed.  There  was  a  white  boy  paddling 
a  skiff  in  the  river,  and  we  offered  him  a  hundred  dollar 
bill,  new  issue,  to  put  us  over  the  river,  and  he  would  not 
do  it.  Some  steamboats  were  anchored  out  in  the  stream 
on  a  trading  expedition  for  cotton,  a  sure  sign  the  war 
was  over,  and  from  the  captain  of  one  of  these,  the  major 
borrowed  five  dollars  in  greenbacks,  and  we  finally  made 
our  way  to  McNut,  walking  the  eighteen  or  twenty  miles. 
At  this  place  wre  found  quite  a  number  of  the  Bolivar  troop 
making  dugouts,  and  we  all  started  together  in  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  boats  to  make  our  way  home. 

As  we  were  paddling  up  the  Bouge  Phalia,  a  consider- 
able stream  in  Bolivar  county,  I  stopped  my  boat  to  talk 
a  little  while  with  a  distinguished  citizen,  not  only  of  the 
county,  but  of  the  state,  holding  at  the  time  a  high  civil 
office.  He  and  his  wife  came  to  the  bank  to  hear  the 
news,  and  I  told  them  that  all  was  over,  for  before  that 
time  General  Taylor,  on  the  8th  of  May,  had  surrendered, 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  259 

and  of  course  deep  regret  was  felt  and  expressed.  This 
gentleman  had  been  an  ardent  and  uncompromising  se- 
cessionist, and  his  wife,  a  lady  of  culture,  was  if  any- 
thing, more  so.  She  expressed  the  sentiment  that  we 
ought  never  to  have  surrendered  while  there  was  a  man 
left  to  hold  a  gun. 

In  my  boat  was  a  young  man  of  the  Jewish  faith,  Theo- 
dore Frank,  and  there  had  been  no  truer  soldiers  than  he 
and  his  friend,  David  Reinach,  another  young  man  of 
the  same  faith,  who  had  joined  the  Bolivar  troop  early  in 
the  war,  and  while  I  was  still  the  captain,  and  who  had 
been  faithful  to  the  end.  As  we  pulled  off  from  the  bank 
and  had  gotten  out  of  hearing,  Theodore  Frank  said  to 
me  with  a  most  serious  expression  on  his  face,  "  Colonel, 

do  you  think  Mrs. ought  to  have  said  what  she  did, 

when  she  has  two  sons  and  two  sons-in-law  who  are  not 
in  the  army."  I  admitted  it  did  not  look  altogether 
right,  but  told  him  he  at  least  could  console  himself  with 
the  thought  that  he  had  done  his  duty.  This  young  man 
did  not  live  very  long  after,  but  his  friend  and  comrade 
both  in  the  war  and  in  the  ancient  faith,  is  living  still,  a 
prosperous  and  honored  citizen. 

We  paddled  to  within  three  miles  of  my  home  and 
there  finding  dry  ground,  I  got  out  and  walked,  and  not 
far  from  my  house  met  my  wife  riding  her  pony,  my 
eldest  son  being  with  her  and  the  youngest  riding  behind 
her.  She  did  not  know  me,  for  I  was  without  a  beard, 
except  a  mustache,  and  she  had  not  for  many  years  seen 
me  without  one.  Besides,  I  was  wearing  a  uniform 
jacket  which  she  had  never  seen,  and  this  is  now  the  sole 
relic  I  have  of  the  war,  of  all  that  I  wore,  my  pistol  the 
sergeant  took,  and  my  sabre  I  last  saw  buckled  round  the 
waist  of  a  federal  lieutenant,  and  recognized  it  from  the 
marks  I  had  on  it.  My  trunk,  I  found  when  I  got  back  to 
Meridian,  had  been  broken  into  and  all  my  clothes  stolen. 


260  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

I  had  in  it  a  handsome  uniform,  but  when  we  were 
ordered  in  haste  from  Marion,  apprehending  we  were 
going  to  have  a  rough  time,  I  put  on  this  jacket.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  I  had  worn  it  in  some  shape  during  the 
whole  war,  for  it  was  made  from  a  military  overcoat 
which  I  wore  for  three  years,  but  still  had  enough  good 
cloth  in  it  to  make  this  jacket. 

It  was  not  long  till  we  were  at  the  houses  my  wife  had 
succeeded  in  having  built,  and  at  last  I  was  at  home  with 
my  wife  and  all  my  children  around  me,  and  this  time  to 
stay  till  Death  should  claim  me  for  his  own.  I  found 
that  my  wife  had  agreed  with  the  negroes,  perhaps  in  all 
a  dozen  were  still  with  her,  the  faithful  Jake  Jones  among 
the  number,  that  if  they  would  make  a  crop,  in  addition 
to  caring  for  them  as  usual,  she  would  give  them  at 
Christmas  one-fourth  of  what  cotton  they  made  if  any 
sale  could  be  found  for  it,  and  they  had  agreed. 

I  spent  the  night  quietly  talking  over  the  future,  which 
looked  gloomy  indeed,  for  I  had  on  my  hands  to  care  for, 
educate  and  support,  at  that  time  seven  children,  the 
youngest  nearly  four  years  old.  The  negroes,  I  knew, 
would  be  free,  my  stock  of  horses  and  mules  were  nearly 
all  gone;  some  horned  cattle  and  hogs,  it  is  true,  we  had, 
and  we  might  manage  to  live,  but  so  far  as  I  could  see, 
that  would  be  about  all,  but  I  knew  I  had  a  brave  wife, 
and  together  we  looked  the  future  in  the  face  and  deter- 
mined to  conquer  fate,  and  not  let  it  conquer  us. 

The  next  morning  I  assembled  all  the  negroes,  and 
told  them  the  southern  armies  had  all  surrendered,  and 
that  the  war  was  over,  and  they  were  free.  I  told  them 
the  contract  they  had  made  with  their  mistress  I  would 
carry  out  if  they  wished  to  stay,  and  advised  them  to 
stay,  and  this  they  did,  till  the  end  of  that  year. 

The  war  over,  and  I  had  the  future  to  face,  and  had 
much  rather  have  faced  the  enemy.     All  sorts  of  wild 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  26 1 

schemes  were  talked  about,  going  to  Mexico  and  joining 
Maximilian,  going  to  Honduras,  and  some  did  actually 
go.  For  myself,  I  could  not  have  gone  without  basely 
deserting  these  helpless  ones,  and  I  made  my  mind  up  to 
do  as  Governor  Clark,  that  "  noblest  Roman  of  them  all," 
in  his  proclamation  advised  the  people  of  the  state  to  do: 

' '  Let  all  citizens  fearlessly  adhere  to  the  fortunes  of 
their  state,  and  aid  the  returned  soldiers  to  obtain  civil 
employment,  maintain  law  and  order,  condemn  all  twelfth- 
hour  vaporers,  and  meet  stern  facts  with  fortitude  and 
common  sense." 

I  was  a  Mississippian,  and  through  good  and  evil  I  had 
from  the  time  I  could  first  remember,  stood  by  her  for- 
tunes, and  whatever  her  fate  was  now  to  be,  I  for  one 
would  share  it. 

Pages  yet  to  come  will  briefly  tell  this  part  of  my  story. 


262  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Changed  condition — President  Johnson's  plan  of  reconstruction — 
Negroes,  old  Uncle  Hector — Negro  problem  always  serious — 
General  Alcorn's  opinion  of  right  policy — Reconstruction  un- 
der act  of  congress — Negroes  voting — Convention,  carpet- 
baggers and  scallawags — Our  new  clerk,  Florey — Negroes  on 
juries. 

A  new  era,  an  unknown  future  now  lay  before  the 
people  of  the  state.  L,ike  the  great  archangel  and  his 
legions, 

"Hurled  headlong  flaming  from  the  ethereal  sky," 

they  lay  stunned  and  helpless  under  the  feet  of  their 
foes.  The  president  of  the  United  States,  Andrew 
Johnson,  a  southern  man,  was  looked  upon  as  a  rene- 
gade, as  a  traitor  to  his  people,  and  almost  his  first 
public  utterance  was  that  "treason  must  be  made 
odious."  Yet  events  proved  that  Mr.  Johnson's  plan 
for  reconstruction  was  merciful  and  statesmanlike  com- 
pared to  that  of  the  crowd  of  haters  of  the  south  and 
southern  people  which  soon  obtained  the  control  of  the 
federal  government.  It  is  true  he  caused  Governor  Clark 
to  be  arrested  and  confined  in  prison,  and  he  would  not 
permit  the  legislature  to  meet,  and  arbitrarily  appointed 
a  governor  of  his  own  choosing,  but  he  gave  us  one  of 
the  best  and  ablest  citizens  of  the  state,  Judge  William 
Sharkey,  and  through  him  had  a  convention  called  to 
undo  the  work  .of  the  secession  convention  and  start 
the  state  anew  with  a  constitution  and  laws  suitable 
to  the  changed  condition  of  things. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  263 

This  convention  was  elected  by  the  old  voters  of  the 
state,  for  it  was  no  part  of  Mr.  Johnson's  plan  to  dis- 
franchise the  white  people  and  give  suffrage  to  their 
slaves,  and  it  was  composed  of  many  of  the  ablest  men 
of  the  state,  without  regard  to  whether  they  had  been 
soldiers  or  not.  From  Bolivar  county  went  my  friend 
and  comrade  of  the  first  year  of  the  war,  Lieutenant 
Jones,  of  the  Bolivar  troop,  and  from  every  county  in 
the  state  went  equally  true  men,  but  they  were  all  men 
who  recognized  the  changed  condition  of  the  state  and 
gave  a  loyal  adherence  to  it. 

They  plainly  saw  that  no  good  and  much  evil  would 
result  from  any  attempt  to  even  indirectly  antagonize  the 
policy  of  the  government,  and  like  the  southern  soldiers 
who  having  fought  till  they  no  longer  had  a  government 
to  fight  for,  refused  to  continue  a  resistance  by  a  guer- 
rilla war,  which  would  have  been  as  criminal  as  it  would 
have  been  unavailing,  prepared  to  acquiesce  in  this 
policy  and  guide  the  state  out  of  troubled  waters  to  a 
new  haven  of  peace. 

The  legislature  elected  under  the  provisions  of  this 
new  constitution  were  in  the  main  actuated  by  the  same 
spirit,  and  under  the  provisions  of  this  new  constitution 
and  the  laws  enacted  by  this  legislature  the  courts  were  be- 
ing held  and  the  laws  administered,  and  we  were  gradually 
becoming  accustomed  to  the  change  made  by  the  freedom 
of  the  negro,  though  the  constant  presence  of  soldiers 
in  almost  every  county  warned  us  that  there  were 
dangers  yet  ahead  and  by  how  frail  a  tenure  we  held 
the  liberty  accorded  to  us.  Judge  Sharkey  and  General 
Alcorn  were  elected  to  the  senate,  and  among  the  able, 
true  southern  men  elected  to  the  house  of  representatives 
was  my  friend  and  colonel,  R.  A.  Pinson.  These  gentle- 
men all  went  to  Washington,  but  were  not  permitted  to 
take  their  seats. 


'264  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

Meantime  the  old  soldiers,  as  well  as  all  the  citizens, 
were  trying  to  start  over  in  the  race  of  life.  The  negroes, 
considering  the  fact  that  soldiers  had  been  sent  into  every 
county,  and  agents  of  the  freedman's  bureau  were  busy 
with  them,  were  doing  well.  They  had  not  as  yet  lost 
the  habit  of  obedience  to  the  white  people,  though  few,  if 
any,  after  the  first  year,  would  remain  with  their  old 
owners.  My  own,  or  rather  those  who  had  been  my  own 
negroes,  at  the  end  of  the  first  year  left  me  for  another 
employer,  and  a  neighbor's  negroes  came  to  me.  They 
had  an  idea  they  were  not  really  free  as  long  as  they  re- 
mained with  their  old  masters.  One  old  man  I  had,  Uncle 
Hector,  as  he  had  been  called  from  the  time  I  could  re- 
member, I  talked  to  and  told  him  he  was  too  old  to  make 
a  living  by  work,  and  that  he  had  better  stay  with  me, 
that  as  long  as  I  was  able  to  make  a  living  for  myself,  he 
should  not  suffer.  But  he  too  left  me,  and  it  was  not 
long  till  I  heard  he  was  destitute  and  went  to  see  him 
and  provided  for  his  wants  for  the  short  time  he  had  to 
live.  I  had  a  real  affection  for  the  old  man;  he  had  been 
born  a  slave  to  my  family,  being  a  son  of  native  Africans, 
and  I  remembered  his  mother,  and  of  how  much  afraid  I 
was  of  her  when  I  was  a  little  boy.  The  people  of  the 
north  never  did  understand  the  feeling  of  the  master  for 
his  slave,  nor  that  of  the  slave  for  his  master,  till  they 
were  taught  to  believe  that  their  owners  were  enemies, 
and  that  they  were  as  good  as  white  people. 

Few  southern  men  regretted  the  freedom  of  the  negro, 
and  no  southern  soldier  fought  for  his  continued  enslave- 
ment. This  is  absolutely  true,  though  the  people  of  the 
north  have  never  believed  it,  and  I  suppose  never  will. 
All  thoughtful  men  in  the  south  had  been  troubled  with 
the  negro  question,  not  as  one  which  before  the  war 
promised  immediate  danger  to  the  south,  but  as  a  danger- 
ous one  for  their  descendants,  not  because  of  any  appre- 


IX    PEACE    AND   WAR.  265 

hension  from  the  north,  for  this  the  south  never  had  till 
the  war  proved  we  were  too  weak  to  cope  with  that  great 
power,  but  because  with  four  millions  of  slaves  in  1S60, 
it  was  easy  to  see  that  by  the  time  I  am  now  writing, 
1900,  there  would  be  perhaps  ten  millions  of  slaves,  and 
where  could  profitable  employment  be  found  for  this  im- 
mense host,  when  already  in  the  cotton  states,  where  cot- 
ton was  the  only  industry  which  profited  by  slave  labor 
to  any  great  extent,  immense  areas  of  territory  had  been 
worn  out  and  rendered  almost  worthless.  The  result  was 
that  when  the  war  began,  the  fertile  deltas  of  Mississippi 
and  of  Arkansas  and  Louisiana  were  rapidly  filling  up 
with  slaves,  and  would  soon  have  been  overrun,  and  only 
Texas  would  have  been  left  to  absorb  the  surplus.  A 
very  large  part  of  the  area  of  this  great  state  is,  if  I  am 
correctly  informed,  not  suitable  for  raising  cotton,  and 
hence  would  not  have  been  profitable  for  slaves. 

At  one  fell  swoop  the  war  settled  this  problem  for  the 
south,  but  left  another,  hard  to  adjust,  even  under  the 
plan  of  reconstruction  proposed  by  President  Johnson, 
but  under  the  reconstruction  measures  adopted  by  con- 
gress, one  which  threatened  for  a  time  the  direst  conse- 
quences, the  absolute  destruction  of  Anglo-Saxon  civiliza- 
tion in  the  states  of  the  south,  where  the  negro  was  in 
the  majority. 

On  the  fourth  Monday  in  October,  1866,  and  while  the 
controversy  between  the  president  and  congress  as  to 
reconstruction  was  still  going  on,  a  circuit  court,  the  first 
since  the  fall  of  1S61,  was  held  at  Beulah,  a  little  village 
on  my  plantation  of  that  name,  which  had  but  recently 
sprung  up,  and  where  a  temporary  court  house  had  been 
erected.  The  old  court  house  and  jail  in  the  town  of 
Prentiss,  commodious  brick  buildings,  had  with  the  entire 
town  been  ruthlessly  destroyed  by  the  federals,  and  with 
less  reason  than  my  house  and  property  had  been,   for 


266  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

there  was  no  force  of  ours  occupying  it  at  the  time,  or  had 
ever  been  at  any  time,  so  far  as  I  was  informed.  There 
was  no  hotel  in  Beulah,  or  at  least  at  the  time  not  suffi- 
cient hotel  accommodations,  and  as  by  this  time  I  had 
managed  to  add  to  the  houses  my  wife  had  built,  I  opened 
my  house,  about  half  a  mile  away,  to  the  visiting  law- 
yers and  such  other  gentlemen  as  I  could  accommodate. 
The  court  was  held  by  Judge  J.  S.  Yerger,  a  great  law- 
yer and  great  judge,  the  last  he  was  to  hold  in  Bolivar 
county,  for  in  the  following  summer  he  died  suddenly  at 
Vicksburg,  while  holding  his  court  at  that  place,  the 
spring  term  in  1867,  having  been  pretermitted  because  of 
high  water. 

I  have  known  in  my  life  many  of  the  circuit  judges  of 
the  state,  both  before  and  since  the  war,  but  he  was 
easily  the  greatest  I  have  known.  To  a  profound  knowl- 
edge of  the  law,  he  added  on  the  bench  a  manner  pecu- 
liarly his  own,  strict,  but  kind,  no  man  ever  took  liberties 
with  him,  but  all  could  easily  approach  him.  His  court 
had  in  those  days  both  equity  and  common  law  juris- 
diction, as  well  as  criminal,  and  he  was  equally  at  home 
presiding  as  chancellor  or  as  judge. 

Among  the  prominent  men  and  lawyers  who  were  at 
my  house,  was  J.  L.  Alcorn,  then  one  of  the  senators  of 
the  state  in  congress,  though  not  admitted  to  his  seat 
as  yet,  as  indeed  he  never  was  under  the  election  by  which 
he  then  held  his  title. 

He  had  been  after  his  election,  and  up  to  the  time  I 
am  speaking  of,  most  of  the  time  in  Washington  City 
trying  to  get  his  seat,  and  was  just  from  that  city,  then — 
according  to  General  Taylor,  who  had  visited  it  after  the 
war,  with  the  kind  purpose  of  interceding  for  the  release 
of  Governors  Clark  and  Watts  of  Alabama,  as  well  also 
as  to  get  permission  to  see  President  Davis — worse  than 
Vanity  Fair,    as  depicted  by  Bunyan,   that  greatest  of 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


267 


dreamers.  It  was  not,  however,  with  the  moral  condition 
of  that  city,  but  its  political  condition,  or  rather  the  pur- 
pose of  the  leaders  of  the  Republican  part)-  towards  the 
south,  that  I  was  interested  in  at  the  time. 

Our  legislature  was  then  in  session,  and  had  rejected  or 
refused  to  ratify  the  fourteenth  amendment  to  the  con- 
stitution, and  curious  to  say,  upon  a  report  made  by 
Judge  H.  F.  Simrall,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
state  and  federal  relations,  who  a  few  years  later  became 
a  republican.  General  Alcorn  was  a  very  able  man,  and 
at  this  time  possessed  the  confidence  of  all  the  people  of 
the  state.  I  asked  him  what  the  chance  was  for  the  presi- 
dent in  his  controversy  with  congress,  over  reconstruction, 
and  what  his  own  prospects  were  for  obtaining  his  seat  in 
the  senate.  There  were,  I  think,  a  dozen  gentlemen 
present,  among  others,  General  Chalmers,  though  I  do 
not  now  recall  the  names  of  the  others,  none  of  whom 
are  living  to-day  as  I  suppose,  and  he  talked  for  an  hour 
in  reply  to  my  question,  without  interruption.  He  told 
the  result  of  his  observation,  and  his  information  obtained 
after  repeated  interviews  with  the  leaders  in  congress. 
He  said,  among  other  things,  and  the  result  proved  to  be 
true,  that  the  president  was  without  power  and  influence  in 
his  party,  that  the  legislature  had  made  a  mistake  in  refus- 
ing to  ratify  the  fourteenth  amendment,  that  it  would  be 
forced  on  the  state,  and  indeed  it  was  only  the  logical 
sequence  to  the  freedom  of  the  negro,  and  the  success  of 
the  federal  government,  and  resistance  to  the  policy  of 
the  dominant  party  in  this  matter,  was  more  like  a  child- 
ish display  of  spite,  than  a  thoughtful,  earnest  desire  and 
purpose  to  bring  the  state  into  full  accord  with  the  gov- 
ernment as  it  was  hereafter  to  be  conducted;  and  that  the 
certain  consequence  of  this  course  would  be  to  bring 
harsher  and  severer  measures,  since  it  would  be  construed 
to  mean  that  we  were  still  in  a  rebellious  mood,  thongh 


268  REMINISCENCES   OF    A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

no  longer  able  to  resist  in  the  field.  He  said,  moreover^ 
that  by  the  course  the  legislature  was  pursuing  in  this 
matter,  it  was  weakening  the  influence  of  our  friends  and 
of  the  moderate  men  in  the  Republican  party,  and  giving 
our  enemies  just  what  they  wanted,  an  excuse  for  the 
violent  and  extreme  course  they  had  determined  on.  As 
to  the  president,  it  was  idle  to  expect  any  hope  or  help 
from  him. 

I  have  not,  of  course,  given  his  exact  language,  for 
what  has  taken  me  only  a  few  lines  to  record,  took  him 
an  hour  to  deliver  and  explain,  but  his  speech  made  a 
deep  impression  on  me,  and  the  results,  when  a  few 
months  later  congress  passed  the  reconstruction  act  over 
the  president's  veto,  fully  verified  his  predictions.  From 
the  passage  of  this  act  in  March  1867,  till  the  removal  of 
Governor  Humphries  from  office  by  force,  the  state  had 
in  fact  two  governments,  one  military  which  was  supreme, 
and  the  other  by  sufferance,  civil.  At  first  the  military 
commander  only  proposed  to  fill  vacancies  in  offices  as 
they  occurred,  and  thus  left  to  the  people  some  measure 
of  their  ancient  rights  to  be  governed  by  men  of  their  own 
selection,  as  long  as  those  men  lived,  who  had  been 
chosen  at  the  last  election  held,  in  which  white  people  only 
participated.  But  the  congress  passed  a  supplemental 
reconstruction  bill,  providing  for  a  registration  of  negroes, 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  conferring  on  them  the  right 
to  vote  and  hold  office,  and  at  the  same  time  depriving 
a  great  many  of  the  white  people  of  these  rights,  which 
heretofore  they  had  enjoyed  even  under  the  president's 
plan  of  reconstruction. 

This  filled  to  overflowing  the  cup  of  bitterness  the 
south  was  called  upon  to  drink,  for  it  is  impossible  to 
conceive  that  the  ingenuity  of  hate  could  have  devised 
anything  which  would  have  so  humiliated  the  white 
people  of  the  state  as  this  cruel  and  unnecessary  act  by 


IN   PEACE    AXD    WAR.  269 

which  the  former  slave  was  placed  upon  a  political 
equality  with  his  master,  in  many  eases  superior  to  his 
master,  for  often  the  slave  could  vote  while  the  master 
could  not. 

The  people  of  the  north  did  not  understand  the  char- 
acter of  the  negro;  to  them,  or  the  vast  majority,  he  was 
a  white  man  with  a  black  skin,  while  we  of  the  south 
knew  him  to  be  not  only  an  alien  race,  but  so  vastly  in- 
ferior that  no  fit  comparison  now  occurs  to  me. 

Whatever  traits  of  character  he  had  which  raised  him 
from  a  condition  of  barbarism  he  owed  to  his  association 
with  the  white  man,  and  to-day  it  is  well  known  that  if 
he  were  even  now  removed  from  this  association  he 
would  relapse  into  the  lowest  grade  of  humanity. 

But  the  absurd  cry  of  "manhood  suffrage"  was  raised, 
and  that  platitude  of  the  declaration  of  independence 
"that  all  men  are  created  equal,"  written  by  a  slave- 
holder and  adopted  by  a  convention  composed  largely  of 
slaveholders,  was  the  cry,  and  the  negro  race  as  far  as 
congress  and  the  military  authorities  in  the  state  could 
control  was  made  the  equal  of  the  white  man.  These 
reconstruction  measures  and  the  adoption  about  two 
years  later  of  the  fifteenth  amendment  to  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States  was  a  political  blunder,  but  one 
which  in  theory-  will  never  be  abandoned,  for  no  political 
party  with  any  hope  of  success  can  ever  advocate  the  re- 
peal of  this  amendment. 

In  the  fall  of  1S67  the  first  registration  of  voters  ever 
had  in  the  state  was  made  under  the  authority  of  the 
military,  and  a  little  later  the  first  election  at  which 
negroes  voted  was  had  for  delegates  to  a  convention 
ordered  to  make  a  new  constitution. 

It  was  a  curious  thing  to  watch  the  negroes  vote. 
There  were  under  the  orders  only  five  voting  places  in 
the  county,  one   in   each  district,  and   this  arrangement 


2  JO  REMINISCENCES    OF    A    MISSISSIPPI  AN, 

was  kept  up  as  long  as  the  carpet-baggers,  who  after- 
wards came  into  power,  held  control. 

Some  six  or  seven  hundred  negroes  voted  in  Beulah, 
and  few,  if  any,  white  men,  for  these,  with  few  ex- 
ceptions, were  disfranchised  in  this  election.  The 
negroes  stood  in  a  long  line,  patiently  waiting  each  till 
his  turn  should  come,  and  had  no  more  idea  what  he 
was  doing  or  who  he  was  voting  for  than  "the  man  in 
the  moon"  had. 

I  have  tried  to  recall  the  name  of  the  man  who  was 
voted  for,  but  I  cannot,  and  neither  can  I  find  his  name 
in  any  book  or  history  I  have.  This  much  I  do  remem- 
ber, he  was  a  stranger,  and  I  don't  believe  even  claimed 
to  live  in  the  county.  But  this  made  no  difference,  he 
was  just  as  good  as  the  great  majority  of  members  of 
that  body,  who  had  the  effrontery  to  say  in  the  preamble 
to  the  constitution  they  adopted  "we  the  people  of  the 
State  of  Mississippi  ...  do  ordain  this  constitu- 
tion." There  were  among  the  carpet-baggers  and  a  few 
scallawags  who  were  members  of  that  convention  some 
very  smart  men,  who  must  have  inwardly  smiled  when 
they  voted  for  this  misnomer  of  the  membership  of  this 
convention.  In  the  fall  of  1867  our  October  term  of  the 
circuit  court  was  presided  over  by  Thomas  J.  Shackle- 
ford,  a  citizen  of  Canton,  Madison  county,  who  had  been 
appointed  by  the  military  commander  to  fill  the  vacancy 
occasioned  by  the  death  of  the  lamented  Yerger,  but  he 
only  held  one  term  of  our  court,  being  by  the  same  au- 
thority appointed  to  a  vacancy  on  the  bench  of  the  high 
court  of  errors  and  appeals,  and  he  was  succeeded  by 
B.   F.  Trimble,  appointed  by  the  same  authority. 

Judge  Trimble  was  well  known  to  the  citizens  of  the 
county,  having  lived  in  it  and  practiced  law  before  the 
war,  and  after  the  war  till  his  appointment.  He  had 
taken  no  part  in  the  civil  war,  and  had  been  in  Kentucky 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR.  27  I 

during  that  time,  but  he  was  acceptable  to  the  bar  and  the 
people,  and  was  a  good  judge. 

The  constitution  adopted  by  the  convention  of  1S6S 
was,  strange  to  say,  submitted  to  the  people  for  ratifica- 
tion, and  was  defeated  because  of  the  provisions  of  cer- 
tain sections,  from  four  to  thirteen  inclusive,  which  were 
so  extreme  and  objectionable  that  practically  all  the  white 
people  of  the  state  would  have  been  disfranchised,  and 
Governor  Humphries  having  been  removed  from  office  by 
the  arbitrary  act  of  the  military  commander  then  control- 
ling the  state,  the  reign  of  the  carpet-bagger  was  inau- 
gurated all  over  the  state  under  military  authority.  No 
vacancy  had  occurred  among  the  county  officers  of  Boli- 
var county,  and  as  between  the  races  perfect  quiet  pre- 
vailed, there  had  been  no  cause  for  interference  with  the 
internal  affairs  of  the  county,  but  the  hungry  swarm  who 
hung  around  the  military  headquarters  at  Vicksburg 
could  no  longer  be  appeased,  and  many  a  county  afforded 
good  pickings,  and  few  had  better  than  Bolivar.  Ames 
was  in  possession  of  the  governor's  office,  and  wanted 
men  to  suit  him  in  the  different  counties,  and  we  were 
not  surprised  when  claimants  appeared  demanding  pos- 
session. 

I  was  in  the  village  one  day  in  November,  1S6S,  when 
a  stranger  rode  into  it,  and  looking  neither  to  the  right 
nor  to  the  left,  rode  straight  to  the  clerk's  office,  as  if  he 
knew  exactly  where  he  was  going,  and  what  he  wanted. 
None  of  us  who  were  looking  on  had  ever  seen  him  be- 
fore. He  was  a  small  and  very  youthful-looking  man, 
white,  and  was  all  alone.  In  less  than  half  an  hour  our 
clerk,  P.  M.  Davidson,  a  gallant  ex-confederate  who  had 
been  disabled  by  wounds  in  the  fight  near  Sharon,  as  be- 
fore related,  came  out  and  showed  us  an  order  from,  I 
believe,  General  McDowell,  commanding  the  department, 
directing  him  to  turn  over  the  offices  of  circuit  and  pro- 


272  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

bate  clerk  to  the  bearer,  H.  T.  Florey,  who  was  commis- 
sioned to  hold  them  both.  This  was  followed  by  the  re- 
moval of  all  the  county  officers,  and  the  appointment  of 
carpet-baggers  and  scallawags,  some  white  and  some  col- 
ored, to  fill  them. 

And  now  for  the  first  time  the  negro  was  organized 
into  a  political  machine,  he  had  executive  committees, 
loyal  leagues,  in  Bolivar  county,  under  the  control  of 
Florey,  who,  young  as  he  was,  was  the  recognized  leader 
of  this  crowd  of  cormorants.  He  had  a  big  drum  at  his 
office,  which  could  be  heard  for  miles  around,  and  when 
this  drum  beat,  like  the  great  war  drum  of  the  Aztecs, 
it  summoned  the  faithful,  and  they  came  from  far  and 
near.  Of  all  the  race  of  carpet-baggers  with  whom  it  was 
my  fortune  to  come  into  contact,  this  young  man,  almost 
a  boy,  was  the  most  remarkable.  He  seemed  to  be  with- 
out personal  courage,  for  he  passed  without  notice  and 
without  resentment  insults  from  white  and  black  alike, 
yet  he  must  have  had  a  high  degree  of  courage.  He  de- 
sired to  control  and  did  control  the  negro  for  his  own 
purposes,  but  he  never  seemed  to  desire  to  excite  their 
hostility  to  the  white  people,  except  politically.  He  was 
wise  enough  to  see  it  was  only  through  the  white  man 
that  he  could  acquire  money,  and  that  the  negro  left  to 
himself,  without  the  guidance  and  direction  of  the  white 
man,  would  never  be  able  to  fill  the  coffers  of  the  state 
and  counties,  that  he  and  his  friends  might  empty  them. 

Meantime  the  white  people  looked  on  in  helpless  anger 
and  disgust,  unable  to  resist  yet  unwilling  to  submit.  At 
last,  in  1869,  the  constitution  was  again  submitted  to  a 
vote  of  the  people,  sections  four  to  thirteen,  inclusive, 
separately,  and  these  were  rejected,  and  the  constitution 
thus  purged  was  adopted.  In  the  election  held  under  it, 
a  carpet-bag  mulatto,  named  Bowles,  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent the  county  in  the  house  or  representatives,  and  a 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR. 


273 


"lily  white,"  named  Dowd,  was  elected  to  the  senate. 
Where  they  came  from  I  don 't  know.  Dowd  disappeared 
from  public  view  in  a  short  time,  at  least  I  have  no  fur- 
ther recollection  of  him,  but  Bowles  remained  for  some 
time  to  vex  the  people. 

In  the  fall  of  that  year,  at  the  October  term  of  the 
court,  negroes  were  for  the  first  time  put  on  juries.  I 
was  on  the  panel  for  the  week,  and  so  great  was  my  dis- 
gust that  I  at  once  applied  for,  and  easily  obtained,  a 
license  to  practice  law,  thus  escaping  what  I  thought 
would  have  been  a  degradation.  Up  to  that  time  I  had 
struggled  to  maintain  myself  on  my  plantation,  which 
gradually  dwindled  down  to  a  small  farm,  but  had  wholly 
failed  to  adapt  myself  to  the  new  condition  of  farming, 
and  from  that  time  on  gave  it  up.  I  never  had  cause  to 
regret  my  change  of  business,  and  at  once  obtained  a  good 
practice,  putting  into  practical  use  the  legal  education  I 
had. 

•     iS 


274  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Civil  government  under  carpet-baggers — Visit  to  Jackson — Legis- 
ture  of  1S70 — Governor  Alcorn  tempted  by  seat  in  senate 
— Judges,  jury  trial,  and  negroes  as  jurors — General  Starke, 
sheriff  of  Bolivar — B.  K.  Bruce — His  manners  and  conservatism 
— Campaign  of  1873 — Alcorn  and  the  chancellor — Correspond- 
ence with  Governor  Alcorn — Campaign  of  1S75 — Rout  of  car- 
pet-baggers by  taxpayers. 

The  year  1870  opened  with  a  new  civil  government, 
and  the  reign  of  the  carpet-bagger  and  his  negro  dupes 
and  allies  was  inaugurated  under  the  forms  of  law,  It  so 
happened  that  business  took  me  to  Jackson  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  session  of  the  legislature.  I  wanted 
an  injunction  for  a  client,  and  went  there  to  look  for  a 
judge  to  whom  I  could  apply  for  it.  It  was  doubtful  in 
the  minds  of  many  lawyers  after  the  adoption  of  the  new 
constitution,  whether  the  judges  who  had  been  in  office, 
could  continue  to  act,  and  as  I  knew  new  judges  would 
be  immediately  appointed,  I  went  to  Jackson  to  avail  my- 
self of  the  first  one  I  could  catch.  I  had  to  wait  a  day  or 
two,  and  became  "a  looker-on  in  Venice."  The  conven- 
tion which  framed  the  new  constitution,  is  alluded  to  in 
Lowry  &  McCardles  school  history  of  Mississippi  as  the 
"black  and  tan  convention."  I  never  saw  it  in  session, 
but  if  it  was  blacker  than  this  legislature,  I  am  glad  I 
did  not. 

I  stood  one  morning  in  the  rotunda  of  the  capitol,  up 
stairs,  when  the  house  went  into  the  senate  chamber  for 
some  purpose,  and  took  careful  note  of  the  members  as 
they  passed.     It  seemed  to  me  two  thirds  were  negroes,     , 
including  in  that  term  every  shade  of  color  which  showed    * 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR.  275 

a  trace  of  negro  blood.  A  few  of  these  had  been  slaves, 
and  were  without  education,  but  the  majority  I  think, 
were  carpet-baggers,  like  the  most  of  their  white  associ- 
ates. White  men  and  negroes  walked  arm  in  arm  or  side 
by  side,  and  the  sight  was  stranger  to  me  than  the  trans- 
formation of  King  George's  portrait  into  that  of  General 
Washington,  as  a  sign  to  Jonathan  Doolittle's  Union 
Hotel,  was  to  Rip  Van  Winkle  when  he  first  saw  it  after 
his  long  nap  of  twenty  years.  Truly,  it  seemed  to  me, 
to  quote  (from  memory)  the  language  of  the  immortal 
Prentiss  in  his  speech  on  his  contested  election  in  the 
house  of  representatives,  "  the  bright  star  that  answered 
to  the  name  of  Mississippi  on  the  flag  of  the  Union  had 
been  plucked  from  its  place,  and  only  the  stripes  were 
left  behind." 

"To  this  complexion  had  we  come  at  last." 

Of  all  the  members  of  that  legislature,  there  were  only 
two  I  had  ever  known  before,  one  who  had  been  a  slave, 
Merriman  Howard  from  Jefferson  county,  who  had  been 
the  house  servant  and  carriage  driver  for  my  nearest 
neighbor,  in  the  days  when  I  lived  in  that  county,  Mr. 
Wade  Harrison,  and  the  other  in  the  senate,  a  man  named 
O.  S.  Miles,  a  white  man  from  some  northern  state,  who 
had  lived  in  that  county  a  good  many  years,  and  who  had 
made  haste  to  join  in  with  the  carpet-baggers,  and  was 
rewarded  with  this  seat.  These  were  the  sort  of  men 
who  were  to  make  our  laws,  and  to  rule  the  proud  men 
of  the  state.  There  was  but  one  rift  in  the  cloud,  but 
one  hope  for  the  people,  and  that  was  in  the  proud,  im- 
perious man  who  was  the  governor,  James  L.  Alcorn. 
His  plan  to  unite  the  old  whigs  of  the  state,  and  through 
them  control  the  negro,  was  a  failure,  but  all  who  knew 
him  well  were  satisfied  with  his  patriotic  desire  and  pur- 
pose, if  he  could,  to  overthrow  as  soon  as  possible  the  alien 
rule  which  had  been  fastened  upon  the  state,  but  there 


276  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

were  limits  to  his  power,  and  the  majority  of  the  white 
people  turned  from  him,  and  without  practically  a  unani- 
mous support  from  them  he  could  do  but  little.  While 
he  remained  governor  he  did  his  best,  and  all  fair  minded 
men  must  admit,  saved  the  state  from  some  oppressive 
measures,  but  unfortunately  for  the  state,  he  was  tempted 
with  a  seat  in  the  United  States  senate,  a  temptation  few 
men  can  resist,  and  a  year  later  was  out  of  the  way.  In 
talking  of  these  things  I  had  almost  forgotten  what  I  had 
gone  to  Jackson  for.  I  was  in  the  senate  chamber  when 
the  newly  appointed  supreme  judges  took  the  oath  and 
drew  for  terms.  Simrall  drew  the  nine  years'  term,  Tar- 
bell  six,  and  Judge  Peyton  three  years. 

As  soon  as  this  ceremony  was  over,  Judge  Peyton  went 
into  the  consultation  room  of  the  judges,  and  I  followed 
him  with  my  injunction  bill.  He  wanted  to  know  why  I 
had  not  applied  to  the  circuit  judge,  and  I  told  him  it  was 
a  matter  of  some  doubt  whether  we  had  one,  and  he  lis- 
tened to  the  bill  and  gave  me  the  fiat,  and  this  was  his 
first  official  act.  I  suppose  the  bill  is  now  in  the  chan- 
cery clerk's  office;  the  style  and  case  I  remember  well. 

Governor  Alcorn  had  said  that  the  policy  of  his  party 
was  to  give  the  people  "judges  learned  in  the  law  above 
their  fellows,"  and  no  doubt  he  desired  to  do  so,  but  the 
fact  is,  he  had  but  a  small  part  of  the  bar  to  make  his 
selections  from,  for  as  a  rule  the  ablest  were  unwilling  to 
take  office  under  his  administration. 

He  appointed  for  my  district  Charles  G.  Shackleford, 
of  Canton,  an  old  citizen  of  the  state,  who  had  gone  in 
with  his  whole  heart  with  the  carpet-baggers. 

Judge  Trimble  had  incurred  the  undying  hostility  of 
these  people  by,  among  his  last  official  acts,  admitting  to 
bail  Edwin  Yerger,  who  had,  in  a  private  difficulty,  killed 
Colonel  Crane,  the  mayor  of  Jackson,  and  who  would  not 
have  been  confirmed  if  appointed. 


IN    PEACE   AND    WAR.  277 

I  had  known  Edwin  Yerger  when  I  was  a  boy  at  Oak- 
land College,  at  which  place  he  was  a  student,  older  than 
myself.  He  was  a  proud,  high-spirited  boy,  and  had 
been  suspended  from  the  college,  to  which  he  never  re- 
turned, for  an  act  which  won  the  applause  of  all  the 
students.  Professor  John  Chamberlain,  a  brother  of  the 
president,  owned  a  negro  who  was  often  very  impertinent 
to  the  students  and  one  day  was  to  Yerger,  who  then 
and  there  administered  to  him  a  sound  thrashing.  He 
did  not  wait  to  see  the  result,  but  left  the  college.  The 
arrest,  trial,  conviction  and  sentence  of  Yerger  by  a  mili- 
tary court,  his  escape  from  that  sentence  through  the  ex- 
ertions of  his  great  kinsman,  William  Yerger,  his  indict- 
ment afterwards  and  final  acquittal,  and  the  purchase  of 
his  dwelling  in  the  city  of  Jackson  by  the  state  for  an 
asylum  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  would  all  make  an  in- 
teresting chapter  in  the  history  of  the  state,  but  I  can  do 
no  more  than  allude  to  it  in  passing  on  the  events  of  the 
time.  It  would,  perhaps,  more  properly  belong  to  the 
history  of  remarkable  trials  in  the  state,  and  some  day  it 
may  be  some  one  qualified  to  write  of  these  matters  will 
do  so. 

Under  Judge  S  hackle  ford '  s  administration  of  the  law, 
the  juries  were  in  the  main  composed  of  negroes,  wholly 
uneducated  and  ignorant,  but  always  ready  to  convict 
when  told  to  do  so  by  the  district  attorney,  Charles  W. 
Clarke,  a  carpet-bagger  with  little  knowledge  of  the  law, 
but  wholly  unscrupulous.  The  negroes  when  charged 
with  crime,  while  they  voted  with  the  carpet-baggers,  al- 
ways wanted  white  men  on  the  juries  which  tried  them. 
Before  such  juries  as  we  had,  Clarke  was  a  very  success- 
ful prosecutor,  and  seldom  failed  to  convict.  As  a  rule, 
negro  jurymen,  when  white  men  were  on  the  jury,  would 
not  long  hang  out  against  them.  I  remember  a  case  in 
point. 


278  REMINISCENCES  OF  A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 

Two  white  men  were  indicted  for  the  murder  of  a  negro 
woman,  and  it  was  in  fact  a  cruel  and  cowardly  murder. 
I  forget  their  names.  When  first  arrested,  the  chief 
criminal  (both  in  fact  were  admitted  to  bail  by  an  incom- 
petent magistrate),  but  the  most  guilty,  had  friends  who 
made  his  bail,  a  straw  bail,  and  left  and  was  never  seen 
again  in  the  county.  The  other,  a  mere  boy,  accessory 
to  the  crime,  was  tried.  The  jury  was  composed  of 
eleven  negroes  and  one  white  man,  a  young  fellow  who 
had  recently  come  into  the  county  and  was  working  as  a 
common  laborer  on  some  plantation,  and  nobody  knew 
him.  The  boy's  conviction  seemed  certain,  his  attorney 
was  a  poor  lawyer,  and  still  worse  speaker,  and  some  of 
the  white  men,  chief  among  whom  was  our  carpet-bag 
clerk,  Florey,  made  up  a  purse  and  employed  General 
Chalmers  to  go  into  the  case  and  try  and  save  the  poor 
fellow's  life.  The  evidence  had  then  been  closed,  but 
Chalmers  made  a  speech  to  the  jury,  intended  for  the 
white  juror.  He  was  one  of  the  ablest  criminal  lawyers 
the  state  had  ever  had,  and  especially  successful  with 
juries.  The  case  went  to  the  jury  early  in  the  afternoon, 
and  a  verdict  was  expected  in  a  short  time.  But  the 
time  went  on,  darkness  came,  and  the  court  adjourned 
till  morning.  Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day  the 
jury  agreed,  and  when  brought  into  court,  to  the  disgust 
of  the  district  attorney,  and  I  suspect  of  the  judge,  they 
returned  a  verdict  of  not  guilty.  The  young  white  man 
who  was  on  the  jury  said  that  when  the  jury  retired  he 
proposed  a  verdict  of  manslaughter,  but  the  negroes 
would  hear  to  nothing  but  a  plain  verdict  of  guilty  as 
charged,  which  would  have  meant  death,  and  were  so 
insolent  about  it  that  he  got  mad  and  refused  to  agree  to 
any  but  not  guilty  ;  and  finally,  one  by  one,  they  came  to 
him,  and  that  was  the  verdict. 

I  only  give  this  as  an  instance  to  illustrate  some  parts  of 


IN    PEACE   AND   WAR.  279 

the  history  of  those  times,  and  to  show  to  what  conditions 
the  intelligent  people  of  the  state  had  been  reduced. 

The  governor,  to  carry  out  his  plans  to  bring  the  old 
"Whigs  to  his  support,  appointed  as  our  sheriff,  Brigadier 
General  Peter  B.  Starke,  an  old  citizen  of  the  county, 
and  whom  I  have  mentioned  in  connection  with  my  war 
memoirs.  He  had  long  been  a  personal  and  political 
friend  of  the  governor,  and  was  entirely  broken  up  by 
the  war,  but  he  failed  to  bring  any  support  to  the  cause 
the  governor  had  at  heart,  and  was  very  unpopular.  At 
the  same  time  he  appointed  as  assessor,  B.  K.  Bruce,  a 
mulatto,  who  had  a  fair  education,  and  almost  the  man- 
ners of  a  Chesterfield.  I  have  seldom  known  a  man  with 
better  manners,  and  as  things  then  were  in  the  state  the 
county  was  fortunate  in  having  him  in  it.  To  his  conserv- 
atism, and  that  of  Florey's,  so  far  as  keeping  down  hos- 
tility on  the  part  of  the  negroes,  we  owe  it  that  while  the 
population  was  so  largely  composed  of  that  race,  this,  the 
county  of  Bolivar,  escaped  the  riots  and  disorders  which 
vexed  other  counties  in  the  state.  He  was  afterward 
sheriff,  and  then  wisely  foreseeing  the  inevitable  over- 
throw of  carpet-bagism  in  the  state,  ran  for  and  was 
elected  by  the  last  legislature,  composed  of  negroes  and 
carpet-baggers,  in  1874,  to  the  senate  of  the  United  States. 
Afterwards,  as  is  well  known,  he  became,  twice  I  believe, 
register  of  the  treasury,  and  in  all  the  positions  he  held, 
I  think  he  acquitted  himself  creditably.  Other  negroes 
have  done  so,  and  are  doing  so  to-day,  but  these  are  the 
exception  to  the  rule,  for  the  great  mass  are  now,  and 
will  be  for  years  to  come,  if  not  always,  ignorant,  and  a 
menace  to  the  white  civilization  of  the  south,  if  restored  to 
political  control,  such  as  they  once  had  in  the  palmy  days 
of  carpet-baggers.  They  would  again  become  the  dupes 
of  unscrupulous  demagogues,  and  neither  the  good  people 


28o  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

of  the  north  desire  this,  nor  will  the  people  of  the  south 
submit  to  it. 

This  .is  not  alone  because  the  negro  has  been  a  slave, 
and  not  because  of  any  unkind  feeling  the  white  man  of 
the  south  has  for  him,  for  the  negro  recognizes  in  the 
white  man  of  the  south  his  best  friend;  in  trouble  he  went 
to  him,  even  when  the  carpet-bagger  ruled,  and  to-day  he 
comes  to  him  for  help  in  his  troubles,  and  he  is  never 
turned  away. 

But  the  pride  of  race  will  forever  prevent  the  amalga- 
mation of  the  two  races.  They  must  forever  remain 
distinct  and  separate,  and  thoughtful  patriotic  men  north, 
as  well  as  south,  know  this  to  be  true,  and  it  is  best  for 
both  races  that  it  should  be  so. 

All  other  races  of  men  who  have  come  to  our  land,  soon 
become,  or  may,  lost  and  absorbed  into  the  dominant 
Anglo-Saxon  race,  for  all  other  races  have  in  them  the 
elements  which  in  time  may  bring  them  into  a  higher 
scale  of  being;  the  negro  alone  has  not.  This  may  seem 
a  harsh  and  unkind  judgment,  but  any  one  acquainted 
with  the  history  of  the  African  race,  in  his  native  land, 
and  that  of  the  other  races  of  men  on  the  globe,  and  who 
is  unbiased  will,  I  think,  admit  it,  and  further  admit 
that  it  is  as  I  have  said,  the  association  with  and  the  re- 
straining influence  of  the  white  which  have  brought  the 
negro  in  the  United  States  to  his  present  superiority  over 
his  ancestor  in  Africa.  Ke  has  what  I  think  he  ought 
not  to  have  had,  political  rights  equal  to  the  white  man; 
he  is  educated  at  the  expense  of  the  white  man,  he  is  en- 
titled to  and  will  receive  the  equal  protection  of  the  laws 
"  for  his  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,"  and 
this  is  right,  and  now,  since  it  has  been  given  to  him,  the 
equal  protection  of  his  political  rights,  but  he  was  not 
created  the  equal  of  the  white  man,  and  no  law  can  make 
him  the  equal. 


IX    PEACE    AND    WAR.  28 1 

Another  anecdote  illustrative  of  the  negro  character  as 
it  was  in  the  days  of  the  carpet-baggers,  occurs  to  me. 
An  unfortunate  negro  had  committed  murder,  killing  one 
of  his  own  race,  and  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  be 
hanged.  On  the  da}'  fixed  for  the  execution  thousands 
of  negroes  from  all  parts  of  the  county  came  to  see  it,  not 
singly  and  as  individuals,  but  in  their  organized  societies, 
with  music  and  banners.  Bruce  was  then  our  sheriff,  and 
as  soon  as  he  found  it  out,  promptly  stopped  the  societies 
outside  of  the  town,  and  compelled  them  to  disband  be- 
fore coming  into  it.  The  truth  is,  for  a  time  the  negro 
did  not  seem  to  know  what  to  do  with  his  freedom,  and 
under  all  the  circumstances  they  were  not  so  much  to 
blame. 

After  the  inauguration  of  the  civil  government  nothing 
of  special  interest  occurred  till  1S73,  except  the  increas- 
ing taxes,  but  in  that  year  an  effort  was  made  to  put  the 
state  once  more  in  the  hands  of  the  intelligent  people  of 
the  state,  but  it  was  an  indirect  effort.  The  white  people 
organized  under  the  name  of  the  Democratic  Conservative 
party,  but  at  a  convention  held  in  Meridian  it  was  decided 
not  to  make  nominations  for  state  officers. 

Ames,  whose  term  in  the  senate  was  soon  to  expire, 
was  the  nominee  of  the  Republican .  party  for  governor, 
and  Governor  Alcorn,  also  a  member  of  the  senate,  de- 
termined to  oppose  him,  and  it  was  the  general  opinion 
that  the  best  way  to  defeat  Ames  was  to  support  Alcorn, 
who,  though  a  Republican,  was  an  old  citizen  and  large 
property  holder,  and  all  his  interests  were  with  the  best 
people  of  the  state. 

Alcorn  came  to  the  county  of  Bolivar  to  speak,  and  a 
very  large  crowd  of  negroes  and  very  few  white  men 
turned  out  to  hear  him.  Our  chancery  court  was  in  ses- 
sion, and  the  chancellor,  a  carpet-bagger  named  Stafford, 
announced  his  purpose  to  reply  to  him.     Stafford  was  a 


282  REMINISCENCES    OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

harmless  man  of  his  class,  fat  and  good-natured,  and 
wanted  to  get  along  easy  with  everybody.  In  the  course 
of  his  speech  Alcorn  was  specially  severe  on  the  men  who 
then  held  the  state  offices,  and  upon  the  auditor,  Major 
Gibbs  as  he  was  called.  He  said  of  him,  that  Ames, 
when  he  was  governor  under  his  military  appointment, 
had  told  him  that  "Gibbs  was  a  thief."  Stafford  rose  in 
his  place  and  said,  "Governor  Alcorn,  when  was  it  that 
Governor  Ames  told  you  Major  Gibbs  was  a  thief?" 
Turning  to  him  and  shaking  his  hand  at  him,  Alcorn  re- 
plied, "on  the  same  day  and  at  the  same  time  that  he  told 
me  you  were  a  thief."  I  have  seen  a  good  many  men 
put  down  in  my  state  when  interrupting  a  speaker,  but 
never  before  or  since  did  I  see  a  man  so  completely  si- 
lenced as  Stafford  was.  I  had  no  idea  at  the  time  that 
Ames  had  ever  told  Alcorn  anything  of  the  kind,  but 
only  a  few  months  before  he  died,  I  asked  the  governor 
about  this,  and  he  said  it  was  true  that  Ames  had  told 
him  so,  at  one  time  when  Ames  was  first  governor,  he 
was  very  friendly  with  him,  and  talked  freely  to  him 
about  his  associates  in  office,  of  whom  he  then  seemed  to 
be  ashamed.  I  have  no  doubt  he  was,  as  he  had  been 
educated  at  West  Point,  where  it  is  supposed,  no  doubt 
rightly,  that  only  the  highest  principles  of  honor  are 
taught,  but  the  politics  of  that  day,  if  not  of  any  day, 
will  sometimes  corrupt  the  "elect"  themselves. 

When  the  Meridian  convention  was  being  held,  I  was 
in  Jackson,  and  returned  home  before  news  of  its  action 
had  reached  Bolivar,  for  that  was  before  the  days  of  rail- 
roads and  telegraphs  in  this  county.  I  went  at  once  to 
the  clerk's  office  to  see  the  clerk,  and  not  finding  him  in 
his  office  I  went  to  his  bed  room.  It  was  a  hot  day  in 
August,  and  there  were  two  beds  in  the  room.  In  one 
was  Florey  and  the  circuit  clerk,  a  white  man  named 
Lease,  and  in  the  other  Bruce  and  a  big  Irishman,  who 


IN"    PEACE    AND    WAR.  283 

held  some  office  in  the  county,  named  Sullivan.  Florey 
wanted  to  know  the  news,  and  I  told  him  the  Democrats 
would  make  no  nomination  for  governor,  but  would  sup- 
port Alcorn.  His  reply  was  that  "  politics  makes  strange 
bed  fellows."  There  was  a  plain  example  of  it  before 
my  eyes,  a  big  negro  and  a  big  white  man  lying  beside 
each  other  in  the  same  bed,  on  that  hot  day  in  August. 

The  white  people  did  not  support  Alcorn  as  was  ex- 
pected and  hoped  by  those  who  knew  him  best,  and  he 
was  defeated.  Governor  Alcorn  remained  in  the  senate 
till  his  term  expired  in  1877,  and  never  afterwards  held 
any  public  office  except  to  serve  one  term  as  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  his  county,  and  as  a  member 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1890,  which  adopted 
the  present  franchise  provision  of  the  constitution  of  the 
state,  which  he  supported  and  advocated  in  the  conven- 
•  tion,  and  which  has  been  sustained  by  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States. 

So  much  has  been  said  and  written  about  this  able  and 
distinguished  man  in  the  days  of  his  activity,  during  the 
carpet-bag  regime,  and  so  little  was  he  understood  then, 
and  even  now,  that  I  make  no  apology  for  publishing  the 
following  correspondence  had  with  him  a  few  years  be- 
fore his  death,  and  with  no  thought  of  publication  at  the 
time,  though  fortunately  I  have  preserved  it. 

Rosedale,  Miss.,  December  18,  iSpi. 
Hon.  J.  L,.  Alcorn,  Jonestown,  Miss. 

Jfy  Dear  Sir — I  have  been  looking  over  the  ' '  Memoirs 
of  Mississippi  "  just  received,  and  I  naturally  turned  first 
to  look  at  the  sketches  of  some  of  my  friends  of  the  old 
time,  among  others  yours.  It  gave  me  special  pleasure 
to  see  in  yours  the  splendid  tribute  paid,  not  only 
to  your  talents  and  courage,  but  to  your  patriotism 
and  fealty  to  your  race  and  state  by  Claiborne,  not  be- 


284  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

cause  to  one  who  has  known  you  so  long  as  I  have  this 
was  necessary.  But  your  contemporaries  of  the  stormy 
time,  when  you  held  the  helm  and  controlled  the 
destinies  of  the  state,  and  however  they  may  at  the 
time  have  differed  from  you,  as  I  myself  have  done, 
yet  always  did  justice  to  your  singleness  of  purpose,  to 
do  good  and  only  good  to  your  people,  and  gave  you 
credit  for  what  you  did  accomplish,  and  not  blame  that 
3'ou  could  not  do  more,  are  fast  passing  away,  and  a  gen- 
eration of  young  men  are  coming  to  the  front  who  per- 
haps need  to  be  informed  in  what  estimate  men  like  Clai- 
borne held  you.  It  is  deeply  to  be  regretted  that  the 
manuscript  of  his  second  volume  of  the  "History  of 
Mississippi ' '  was  lost,  for  many  reasons,  not  the  least 
among  which  is  the  loss  of  the  history  of  your  adminis- 
tration. Few  of  your  old  friends  at  that  time  did  you 
full  justice,  and  few  who  did  had  the  moral  courage  to 
speak  out.  I  have  always  said  if  the  white  people  of  the 
state  had  stood  by  you,  and  elected  you  governor  in  1873, 
as  they  could  have  done,  that  the  revolution  of  1875, 
would  have  been  accomplished  two  years  sooner,  and  two 
years  more  of  misrule  would  have  been  spared  to  the 
state. 

Do  you  remember  our  accidental  meeting  on  a  train  at 
Grenada,  in  September,  1873,  and  that  we  hurried  through 
Memphis  to  a  steamer  just  ready  to  leave,  because  the 
yellow  fever  was  then  epidemic  in  that  city  ?  I  remember 
it  well,  and  with  what  anxiety  you  looked  forward  with 
the  hope  that  the  white  people  of  the  state,  recognizing 
your  earnest  desire  to  come  to  their  aid,  would  give  you 
credit  in  advance  for  all  you  hoped  and  expected  to  do, 
and  trust  you  as  one  of  themselves  without  such  pledges 
and  assurances  as  would  at  that  time  have  rendered  your 
defeat  certain  and  all  your  efforts  abortive.  I  remember 
it  well  and  how  earnestly  I  tried  to  second  your  efforts. 


IN   PEACE    AND   WAR.  285 

I  remember  too,  how  in  my  house  at  Beulah,  after  the 
ineffectual  appeal  of  Judge  Sharkey  and  yourself  to  the 
senate  of  the  United  States  to  be  admitted  to  that  august 
body  as  senators  of  the  state,  you  told  to  myself  and 
others  the  true  state  of  public  sentiment  in  congress,  and 
in  the  north,  and  the  weakness  of  President  Johnson  in 
his  own  party,  and  predicted  the  results  which  were  to 
follow.  But  your  warnings,  as  well  as  your  advice,  were 
not  heeded.  All  these  things  and  more,  no  doubt,  will 
yet  be  told  in  the  true  story  of  your  public  life,  which 
has  yet  to  be  written  in  full.  I  consider  the  loss  of  Clai- 
borne's manuscript  a  public  misfortune  in  that  full  justice 
would  also  have  been  done  to  that  old  friend  of  yours  and 
mine,  the  old  hero,  Governor  Clark.  This  I  know  be- 
cause I  had  much  correspondence  with  Claiborne  about 
it,  and  gave  him  many  facts  as  to  the  governor's  life  not 
generally  known.  In  the  "  Memoirs  of  Mississippi  "  you 
will  find  a  sketch  of  General  Clark  written  by  me,  which 
is  necessarily  short,  but  I  hope  you  will  like  it.  But  I 
must  not  weary  you.  Believe  me,  that  while  not  always 
agreeing  with  you,  I  always  did  justice  to  you,  as  Clai- 
borne has  done,  and  always  have  been, 
Sincerely  your  friend, 

F.  A.  Montgomery. 

Eagle  Nest,  December  2j,  iSpr. 
Colonel  F.  A.  Montgomery,  Rosedale,  Miss.: 

My  Dear  Sir — The  receipt  of  3*our  letter  of  the  18th 
instant,  now  before  me,  gave  me  great  pleasure.  My 
long  acquaintance  with  you,  the  intimate  acquaintance 
I  have  enjoyed,  has  ripened  a  friendship  which  began 
long  since  and  has  continued  unbroken  until  the  present 
time,  and  makes  me  regard  what  you  say  as  the  opinion 
of  a  strong  and  impartial  friend.  It  is  true,  as  you  say, 
that  the  generation  of  men  who  shared  with  us  the  re- 


286  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

sponsibilities  of  the  trying  period  through  which  we  have 
passed  are  now  rapidly  passing  away.  Soon  the  men  of 
the  reconstruction  period  will  be  no  more.  To  me  there 
is  a  regret  that  will  go  with  me  to  the  grave  that  I  could 
not  have  served  the  people  of  Mississippi  and  of  the 
south  more  profitably  than  I  did.  I  had  studied  the 
question  of  reconstruction.  I  had  studied  the  temper 
of  the  northern  people  and  I  had  determined  to 
yield  to  the  inevitable.  I  bore  with  great  patience  the 
complaints  and  abuse  of  the  people  who  criticized  my 
course.  It  was  but  natural.  Their  words  were  but  the 
language  of  my  own  heart  when  I  gave  way  to  my 
passions.  But  I  had  determined  to  look  facts  in  the 
face  and  by  a  stern  discipline  to  follow  in  the  course  that 
my  judgment  told  me  was  necessary  to  reach  the  haven 
of  rest  for  the  people  of  the  state.  I  had  been  before 
the  war  accused  of  an  inordinate  pride.  A  proud  man 
I  was  justly  said  to  be,  and  now  when  I  was  accused  of 
being  a  negro  leveler  of  my  own  race,  a  man  who  sought 
to  bring  my  own  race  down  to  a  level  with  the  ignorant 
and  vulgar,  my  mortification  had  reached  its  maximum, 
but  I  had  determined  on  my  course.  I  had  enjoyed 
an  early  acquaintance  with  Colonel  Claiborne,  I  had  ex- 
changed views  and  opinions  with  him.  He  took  me 
severely  to  task  for  the  course  I  intimated  to  him  I  in- 
tended to  adopt.  I  knew  him  to  be  a  man  of  strong  and 
vigorous  mind,  a  man  of  independence  of  thought,  and  I 
took  pains  to  suggest  to  him  my  convictions  as  to  the 
true  course  to  be  pursued.  The  correspondence  I  had 
with  him  would  have  been  shown  to  the  world  had  not 
his  manuscript  of  the  second  volume  of  Mississippi 
history  been  destroyed.  He  was  of  the  opinion  I  could 
not  reach  the  point  which  I  finally  attained.  He  was  of 
the  opinion  that  the  passions  of  the  State  of  Mississippi 
would  not  tolerate  me  as  far  as  they  did.     He  said  to  me 


IN   PEACE   AND   WAR.  287 

that  I  would  be  assassinated,  that  I  would  fall  a  martyr 
under  a  cloud  that  would  cover  me  in  my  grave,  but 
when  I  succeeded  in  establishing  myself  in  the  opinion 
of  yourself  and  others  Claiborne  became  enthusiastic  in 
my  praise.  You,  my  dear  colonel,  were  among  my 
friends,  and  to-day  my  heart  goes  out  to  you  in  respect 
and  love.  If  I  could  have  been  elected  to  the  office  of 
governor  in  1S73  I  would  have  vindicated  myself  in  the 
judgment  of  all  thinking  men,  but  I  am  consoled  with 
the  reflection  that  I  had  the  confidence  of  such  men  as 
Claiborne  and  Clark  and  that  to-day  I  enjoy  the  friend- 
ship and  confidence  of  such  living  men  as  yourself. 

Your  friend, 

J.  I,.  Alcorn. 

I  am  glad  to  have  preserved  this  correspondence  and 
to  be  able  to  give  it  to  the  world.  Governor  Alcorn 
lived  nearly  four  years  after  this,  and  circumstances 
made  me  his  near  neighbor  for  the  last  two  years  of  his 
life,  and  gave  me  the  privilege  of  joining  with  his  old 
friends  and  neighbors  in  paying  to  his  remains  the  last 
tribute  of  respect.  They,  like  those  of  Governor  Clark, 
lie  upon  a  high  mound,  the  work  of  the  prehistoric  and 
forgotten  race,  and  near  to  his  magnificent  home,  where 
his  great  delight  was  to  dispense  a  generous  hospitality 
to  his  friends. 

At  his  burial  there  were  no  more  sincere  mourners  than 
the  numerous  negroes  from  his  plantations,  many  of 
whom  had  been  his  slaves.  I  was  deeply  touched  to  see 
among  the  stones  already  there,  one  to  his  young  son  Hal 
Alcorn,  as  he  was  called,  who,  when  a  boy  of  sixteen, 
had  joined  the  Bolivar  troop  and  been  taken  prisoner  in 
Georgia,  and  had  died  while  in  prison  and  been  buried 
far  from  his  home  and  friends,  among  an  indisguishable 
number  of  like  heroic  sons  of  the  south. 


288  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

The  year  1875  dawned  upon  an  impoverished  state  and 
impoverished  people,  but  its  close  was  to  bring  redemp- 
tion from  misrule.  The  histories  of  the  state  have  told 
this  story,  but  none  have  done  it  full  justice.  I  will  only 
concern  myself  with  the  efforts  made  in  Bolivar  county, 
and  the  results  achieved  here.  Many  of  the  best  people 
of  the  state  despaired  of  relief,  but  they  did  not  for  that 
reason  hold  back  from  the  work.  A  few  men  met  in  the 
court-house  to  organize  a  tax-payers'  party  to  assist  in 
the  great  fight  about  to  be  made.  Among  them  I  recall 
the  names  of  Governor  Clark,  Colonel  Green  Clay  of  the 
great  family  of  that  name  in  Kentucky,  Colonel  Strother 
and  others,  of  whom,  I  am  proud  to  say,  I  was  one. 
Nearly  every  member  of  this  little  meeting  had  belonged 
to  the  old  Whig  party,  but  willingly  called  themselves 
Democrats,  for  that  party  alone  promised  at  that  time  in 
the  north  any  relief  from  the  intolerable  evils  under 
which  the  south  was  then  groaning.  It  alone,  with  a 
few  noble  exceptions,  seemed  to  have  any  sympathy  for 
us.  It  is  this  which  united  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  of 
the  state,  and  kept  them  united  long  after  the  necessity 
for  it  had  passed  away,  if  it  were  not  for  fear  of  the  negro 
in  politics.  It  is  true  he  is  no  longer  a  menace  to  white 
supremacy,  but  with  a  division  of  the  white  people  into 
two  parties,  he  would  certainly  be  in  politics  again,  and 
even  under  the  present  franchise  law  there  are  many 
thousands  who  could,  if  they  would,  qualify  themselves 
to  vote,  and  would  certainly  hold  the  balance  of  power. 
This  is  in  the  highest  degree  unfortunate,  for  ours  is  a 
government  of  parties,  and  where  there  cannot  be  two 
parties  there  are  sure  to  be  two  factions,  and  the  only 
question  is  who  can  get  the  spoils.  The  result  is,  that 
the  ablest  men,  as  a  rule,  refuse  to  take  part  in  a  fac- 
tional fisrht  and  stand  aloof,  while  the  weak  and  incom- 


IN   PEACE    AND   WAR.  289 

petent,  like  the  froth  that  rises  to  the  top  of  the  glass, 
come  to  the  front. 

This  condition  of  political  affairs  in  the  state  is  unfor- 
tunate for  another  reason.  With  the  necessity,  real  or 
supposed,  of  all  the  white  men  standing  together  in  state 
and  local  affairs,  they  are  not  free  to  divide  on  national 
issues.  The  test  of  loyalty  to  the  party  in  state  elections 
made  by  the  politicians  in  the  state,  is  not  whether  a 
man  has  been  true  to  his  race  and  to  Anglo-Saxon  civili- 
zation, but  whether  he  has  voted  or  will  vote  for  the 
Democratic  nominee  for  president,  though  he  may  be- 
lieve, as  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  do  in  the  state 
sometimes,  his  election  would  be  a  great  disaster  to  the 
country. 

These  men  are  not  deceived  by  the  absurd  bugbears  of 
"imperialism"  or  "militarism."  They  remember  they 
belong  to  a  race  which  has  never  been  conquered  or  en- 
slaved, since  the  bold  barons  of  England  wrested  from 
the  tyrant  John  the  Magna  Charta,  or  since  William  of 
Orange  overthrew  James.  This  much  and  no  more  I  will 
say  about  the  politics  of  the  time.  In  1875  there  was  in 
fact  but  one  party  in  Bolivar  county,  for  the  negroes  reg- 
istered about  four  thousand  votes,  and  the  whites  only 
about  three  hundred.  Our  little  meeting  sent  as  dele- 
gates to  the  convention  that  met  in  Jackson,  Governor 
Clark,  Colonel  Clay  and  Colonel  Strother,  and  some 
others,  and  Governor  Clark  was  chosen  as  chairman. 
This  was  in  fact  the  tax-payers'  convention  before  men- 
tioned. There  were  no  state  officers  to  be  elected  that 
year,  and  no  nominations  to  be  made,  but  the  meeting 
did  great  good  in  encouraging  the  timid  and  strengthen- 
ing the  cause.  We  also  organized  an  executive  committee, 
and  I  had  the  honor  to  be  its  chairman.  The  great  ob- 
ject hoped  for  in  the  state  was  to  elect  a  legislature  com- 
posed of  our  best  men.  Members  of  the  house  of  repre- 
19 


290  REMINISCENCES    OF    A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

sentatives,  half  the  senate,  and  all  county  offices  were  to 
be  elected.  Fortunately  for  us  in  Bolivar,  there  were 
more  aspirants  for  office  among  the  negroes  and  the  few 
white  carpet-baggers  than  there  were  offices,  and  this 
resulted  in  a  split  of  which  we  were  quick  to  take  ad- 
vantage. 

The  great  object  we  had  was  to  elect  Colonel  Clay  to 
the  legislature,  and  he  with  a  negro  was  nominated  by 
the  faction  opposed  to  Florey.  The  Florey  crowd  nomi- 
nated Dr.  Shelby,  a  good  man  and  a  Democrat,  and  also 
put  up  a  negro.  Colonel  Clay  made  a  bold  and  active 
canvass,  and  his  uncle,  the  celebrated  Cassius  M.  Clay, 
came  from  Kentucky  to  help  him.  As  Cassius  M.  Clay 
had,  in  days  gone  by,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  been  an  abo- 
litionist, he  gave  effective  help.  The  result  of  the  election 
so  far  as  the  legislature  was  concerned,  was  to  elect  both 
Colonel  Clay  and  Dr.  Shelby,  so  that  we  sent  two  Demo- 
crats to  the  house  instead  of  one.  All  men  know  what 
that  legislature  did  towards  redeeming  the  state;  it  is  in 
all  the  histories  of  the  state.  A  negro  named  Luke 
Moore  came  within  one  vote  of  defeating  the  redoubtable 
Florey  for  chancery  clerk,  in  fact,  on  the  first  count  had 
beat  him  one  vote,  but  on  a  recount,  which  Florey  suc- 
ceeded in  having  made,  he  got  a  majority  of  one  vote, 
and  the  certificate  of  election.  Luke  Moore  concluded, 
on  the  advice  of  Governor  Clark  and  myself;  to  contest, 
and  we  felt  sure  of  winning  his  case  for  him,  but  on  the 
day  of  the  contest  Florey  paid  him  five  hundred  dollars 
to  withdraw  from  the  contest,  and  he  did  so  without  con- 
sulting his  counsel.  The  last  I  saw  of  my  client  as  I  left 
the  place  in  disgust,  he  had  hundreds  of  his  witnesses 
around  him  clamoring  for  their  witness  fees,  as  they  all 
knew  he  had  money.  I  expect  when  they  got  through 
with  him  he  had  but  little  left,  especially  as  the  governor 
and  I  had  taken  care  to  get  our  fee. 


IN   PEACE   AND   WAR.  291 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

Campaign  of  1S76 — John  R.  Lynch — Twenty  negro  laws,  his  anec- 
dote— Elected  to  legislature — Commissioner  to  Washington 
City  in  1SS2  and  1884  in  interest  of  levees — Captain  Eads — 
Congressman  Jones  from  Kentucky — Funeral  of  Mr.  Davis  in 
New  Orleans— Elected  to  legislature  from  Coahoma  county — 
Appointed  circuit  judge — Moral  influence  of  the  bar — Golden 
wedding  tributes — Conclusion — The  Star  of  Mississippi. 

The  year  1876  was  in  the  State  of  Mississippi, 
politically,  an  exciting  one,  when  Mr.  Tilden  was  the 
candidate  of  the  Democrats  for  president  and  General 
Hayes  the  candidate  of  the  Republicans,  and  the  last  in 
which  there  has  been  much  of  a  contest  in  the  state  over 
that  office.  In  Bolivar  county  we  made  an  earnest  effort 
to  carry  the  county  for  Mr.  Tilden,  organized  societies 
with  red  shirts,  gave  barbecues,  and  besides  our  home 
orators,  of  whom  we  had  many  among  the  young  lawyers 
of  the  county,  who  have  since  rose  to  distinguished 
places  in  the  history  of  the  state  and  county,  we  im- 
ported and  paid  negro  orators,  and  the  negro  when  he 
has  some  education  and  can  talk  at  all  is  a  natural 
orator,  but  all  to  no  avail,  for  the  county  went  by  a 
large  majority  for  Hayes.  I  believe  we  did  by  extra- 
ordinary efforts  carry  the  box  at  the  county  site,  Rose- 
dale.  There  was  much  more  excitement  in  Bolivar 
county  than  in  the  election  the  preceding  year,  and 
there  were  times  when  it  seemed  almost  impossible  to 
avoid  a  collision  between  the  races,  but  fortunately  this 
was  avoided.  We  gave  a  big  barbecue  in  Rosedale,  and 
there  was  a  time  during  the  day  that  there  was  great 


r 


2g2  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

danger.  A  negro  named  Jones,  the  clerk  of  the  court  in 
Desha  county,  Arkansas,  the  county  immediately  oppo- 
site to  Bolivar,  came  into  town  and  desired  to  speak,  but 
as  I  knew  nothing  about  him  I  declined  to  let  him  appear 
as  one  of  our  speakers,  and  this  incensed  him,  and  late 
in  the  afternoon  when  all  the  white  men  had  gone  home 
and  none  left  except  a  few  who  lived  in  the  village  he 
gathered  a  crowd  around  him  and  began  an  inflamatory 
harangue  to  a  crowd  of  excited  and  many  of  them  in- 
toxicated negroes,  and  there  would  have  been  trouble,  but 
I  stopped  him  and  advised  him  to  go  back  to  Arkansas, 
where  he  belonged.  He  stopped  speaking  and  in  a  short 
time  left  the  county,  though  not  without  a  little  gentle 
compulsion.  As  a  matter  of  fact  I  had  him  safely  carried 
over  the  river  to  his  own  state,  and  he  made  his  way 
home  as  best  he  could.  I  met  him  a  good  many  times 
after  this  and  he  always  laughed  about  his  experience  in 
trying  to  make  a  Democratic  speech  when  he  was  not  in- 
vited, and  was  especially  civil  and  polite. 

In  the  canvass  John  R.  Lynch,  who  was  a  candidate 
for  congress  and  afterwards  became  prominent  in  his 
party,  came  to  Rosedale  to  make  a  speech.  This  man 
had  been  a  slave,  the  favored  body-servant  of  one  of  the 
wealthy  men  of  Natchez,  Mr.  Suzette,  I  believe;  had 
some  education,  and  was  naturally  very  bright.  I  re- 
member our  Democratic  elector,  my  friend  Warren 
Cowan,  was  present.  There  was  a  big  crowd  of  negroes 
and  very  few  white  men  to  hear  him;  in  fact,  the  crowd 
was  so  great  he  had  to  speak  in  the  open  air.  Lynch, 
negro  though  he  was,  had  few  superiors  as  a  stump- 
speaker,  and  perhaps  none  before  such  an  audience  as  he 
then  had.  He  told  many  amusing  anecdotes,  and  among 
others  the  following.  The  confederate  congress  in  its 
day  had  passed  what  was  known  as  the  twenty-negro 
law,  a  very  foolish  measure,  as  I  thought  then  and  think 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  293 

now.  This  law  exempted  from  compulsory  service  in 
the  confederate  army  all  men  who  owned  as  many  as 
twenty  negroes.  He  told  his  story  well,  better  than  I 
can  repeat  it.  His  master,  he  said,  owned  hundreds  of 
negroes,  but  had  a  neighbor  who  did  not  own  many. 
Just  after  the  passage  of  the  twenty-negro  law  his  master 
sent  him  on  some  errand  to  this  neighbor,  and  he  found 
him  very  much  depressed.  Going  into  the  kitchen  after 
he  had  delivered  his  message,  and  while  he  was  waiting 
an  answer,  he  asked  the  cook  what  was  the  matter  with 
her  master.  She  said,  "Why,  do  n't  you  know?  Master 
scared  dey  gwine  to  put  him  in  the  army  'case  he  ain't 
got  twenty  niggers;  he  ain't  got  but  nineteen."  He  re-' 
turned  home  with  the  gentleman's  answer  to  his  master's 
message,  and  bearing  a  request  for  the  loan  of  a  negro. 
This  was  flatly  refused.  A  month  later  he  again  had  an 
errand  to  the  gentleman,  and  this  time  he  was  all 
wreathed  in  smiles.  Going  again  to  the  kitchen,  he 
again  applied  to  the  cook  for  information  as  to  the 
changed  demeanor  of  her  master,  and  her  reply  was, 
"  Sally  had  a  baby  last  night,  and  master's  got  twenty 
niggers  now. ' '  Lynch  carried  the  crowd  with  this,  and  it 
took  as  well  with  the  white  men  who  heard  him.  Judge 
Cowan  suggested  to  me  that  he  ought  to  reply  to  Lynch, 
but  I  persuaded  him  not  to  do  it.  It  is  certain  he  would 
have  gotten  the  worst  of  it. 

In  1879  I  was  elected  to  the  house  of  representatives 
of  the  state,  and  held  this  office  for  three  consecutive 
terms,  when  I  declined  to  be  a  candidate  again.  In 
1882,  while  in  my  seat  in  the  house,  I  received  a  tele- 
gram that  a  break  in  the  levee  had  overflowed  the  town, 
and  the  water  was  a  foot  deep  in  my  house.  I  hastened 
to  get  my  family  to  Memphis,  and  hurried  back  to  the 
closing  days  of  the  session,  as  experience  had  already 
taught  me  that  the  time  of  all  others  when  a  legislator 


294  REMINISCENCES   OF   A   MISSISSIPPIAN, 

ought  to  be  in  his  seat  is  when  the  legislature  is  coming 
to  an  end.  The  legislature  passed  a  resolution  empower- 
ing the  governor  to  appoint  three  commissioners  to  go  to 
Washington  City  and  see  what  aid  could  be  -obtained 
towards  rebuilding  the  levees,  for  there  were  perhaps  a 
hundred  breaks,  but  it  refused  to  give  a  dollar  towards 
paying  the  expenses  of  the  commissioners. 

Governor  Lowrey  appointed  Governor  Alcorn, Colonel 
W.  A.  Percy  and  myself.  Governor  Alcorn  could  not 
go,  but  Colonel  Percy  and  I  did  go. 

Few  men  have  lived  in  Mississippi  whose  lives  promised 
more  to  the  state  than  Percy's,  an  able  lawyer,  a  gentleman 
of  unblemished  honor,  a  confederate  soldier,  he  had  al- 
ready won  distinction  as  a  member  of  the  memorable  legis- 
lature of  1876,  but  inexorable  death  removed  him  in  the 
prime  of  his  days  and  usefulness.  What  he  might  have 
become  if  he  had  lived  longer  it  is  idle  to  speculate  on. 
That  he  would  have  been  a  wise  adviser  in  these  days 
when  faction  seems  ready  to  disrupt  the  party  of  the 
white  man  in  the  state  of  Mississippi  (for  Democratic 
party  there  is  none)  is  certain,  and  it  may  be  his  influence 
would  have  prevailed  and  saved  the  party  from  the  dangers 
which  now  seem  to  me  to  threaten  it.  To  our  great  regret 
Senator  Lamar  was  not  in  Washington  when  we  got  there, 
and  did  not  return  till  we  were  ready  to  leave,  but  Sena- 
tor George  and  most  of  our  congressmen  were,  and  from 
them  all  we  received  a  cordial  welcome,  and  were  intro- 
duced to  some  of  the  leading  men  of  both  parties.  Es- 
pecially I  recall  the  courtesies  shown  us  by  General  Chal- 
mers, then  the  member  from  the  district  in  which  the 
levees  were,  though  he  lost  his  seat  soon  after  in  the  con- 
test with  Lynch,  who  was  claiming  his  seat,  and  from 
now  Senator  Money,  and  from  Colonel  Muldrow.  We 
were  invited  to  go  before  the  committee  on  rivers  and 
harbors  in  the  house,  and  the  committee  on  commerce  in 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  295 

the  senate,  of  which,  as  I  remember,  Senator  Frye  was 
chairman.  We  were  given  a  hearing  by  these  committees 
and  Colonel  Percy  ably  presented  the  cause  of  the  dwel- 
lers in  the  lands  of  the  Delta.  We  were  met  with  the 
objection  by  some  leading  southern  Democrats,  as  well  as 
some  Republicans,  that  money  could  not  be  appropriated 
to  protect  private  property,  for  this  was  the  narrow- 
minded  view  then  taken  of  this  great  question  of  levee 
protection.  A  better  day  has  dawned,  and  it  is  now  the 
settled  policy  of  the  government  to  aid  in  the  building  of 
levees  as  an  important  part  of  river  improvement,  and  I 
do  not  doubt  that  the  time  will  soon  come  when  this  great 
work  will  be  wholl}7  done  by  the  government. 

We  found  in  Washington  one  great  engineer  who 
espoused  our  cause,  and  this  was  Captain  Eads.  He  was 
a  great  man,  and  then  a  member  of  the  river  commission, 
and  we  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  him  present  his  views 
on  this  question  to  the  river  and  harbor  committee  of  the 
house.  I  remember  his  main  argument  well  but  I  will 
not  here  repeat  it. 

There  was  a  man  on  this  committee  whose  name  I  re- 
member was  Jones,  from  a  mountain  district  in  Ken- 
tucky. How  he  ever  came  to  be  in  congress,  and  being 
there,  how  he  ever  got  to  be  on  this  committee,  is  a  mys- 
tery to  me.  This  man  continually  interrupted  Eads  with 
questions  of  all  kinds,  and  evidently  annoyed  him  very 
much.  Everbody  was  disgusted  with  him,  and  for  my- 
self I  felt  like  I  would  like  to  have  him  in  Bolivar  county 
and  give  him  a  good  ducking.  Presently  he  said,  "  Cap- 
tain Eads  do  you  believe  it  possible  to  control  the  waters 
of  the  Mississippi  river  so  as  to  prevent  overflows?" 
Eads  looked  at  him  a  moment  before  replying  and  then 
said  :  "I  would  have  a  great  contempt  for  the  human 
mind  if  I  did  not  believe  it  could  do  it. ' '  There  is  no 
doubt  he  was  right.     Give  the  engineers  of  these  times 


296  REMINISCENCES   OF   A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 

the  means  and  a  free  hand  and  they  can  do  almost  any- 
thing. Jones  subsided,  nor  did  he  again  interrupt,  either 
that  night  or  the  next>  for  he  was  given  a  hearing  the 
next  night  also. 

Through  the  river  commission  in  the  lower  levee  dis- 
trict we  got  about  four  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and 
were  thus  enabled  with  such  means  as  the  levee  board 
had,  again  to  present  an  unbroken  front  for  a  time  at 
least  to  the  angry  floods  when  they  came.  In  1884 
Colonel  Percy,  Mr.  Hancock,  a  son  of  General  Hancock, 
then  living  in  Coahoma  county,  and  myself  were  again 
appointed  to  go  to  Washington  on  the  same  errand. 
What  good  we  accomplished  I  do  not  know,  but  I  do 
know  that  this  was  the  beginning  of  the  efforts  which 
General  Catchings  has  so  successfully  carried  out  to 
educate  the  northern  mind  on  the  importance  of  this 
work,  not  alone  to  protect  a  few  people  in  the  delta,  as 
seemed  to  be  the  first  impression,  but  to  do  a  great  work 
by  which  all  the  people  of  the  Union  would  be  benefitted, 
for  prosperity  to  the  great  Delta  of  Mississippi  means 
largely  prosperity  to  many  states. 

Colonel  Lamar  was  this  time  in  the  city  and  that 
thorough  gentleman,  Mr.  Arthur,  was  the  president. 
He  granted  us  an  interview,  and,  with  Colonel  Lamar 
to  introduce  us,  we  went  at  the  appointed  hour.  The 
ante-rooms  of  the  white  house  were  filled  with  people, 
men  and  women,  seeking  an  audience,  and  I  could  not 
but  be  sorry  for  them  as  the  doors  all  opened  to  us. 
Some  of  them  no  doubt  never  did  get  in.  Mr.  Arthur 
received  us  with  the  ease  and  courtesy  of  a  gentleman, 
and  said  to  us  that  he  understood  our  condition  and 
knew  what  we  wanted,  and  that  he  would  approve  any 
measure  congress  could  be  induced  to  pass  for  our  re- 
lief.    More  than  this  we  could  not  ask. 

It  was  at  the  1884  session  of  the  legislature  that  Mr. 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  297 

Jefferson  Davis  was  present  as  the  guest  of  the  state,  to 
which  I  have  before  alluded.  Five  years  later,  in  De- 
cember, 18S9,  he  died.  A  meeting  of  leading  citizens 
was  immediately  held  in  the  city  of  Jackson  and  a  com- 
mitte  appointed  from  different  parts  of  the  state  to 
attend  his  funeral  in  New  Orleans,  and  I  received  notice 
that  I  was  appointed  as  one  of  this  committee.  I  at 
once  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  found  there  an  immense 
crowd  from  all  parts  of  the  south,  and  many  from 
northern  states. 

The  confederate  cavalry  association  was  permitted  to 
guard  his  remains,  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
George  Moorman,  and  in  my  turn  I  stood  at  the  head 
of  the  open  casket  in  which  he  lay. 

As  I  looked  upon  his  worn  features,  worn,  not  alone 
with  age  but  with  sorrow,  I  could  not  but  feel  a  pang 
of  regret  that  he  must  go  down  in  history  among  the 
great  men  who  have  been  unsuccessful. 

Before  the  war  I  had  never  been  what  was  known  as  a 
Jeff  Davis  man;  he  was  a  Democrat  and  I  was  a  Whig, 
but  the  force  of  circumstances,  or  that  destiny  which 
shapes  the  lives  of  men,  had  made  him  the  embodiment 
of  southern  ideals,  and  for  a  time  the  vicarious  sufferer 
for  the  supposed  sins  of  the  south,  for  I  will  never  agree 
that  in  seceding  from  the  union  the  south  sinned,  nor  do 
I  say  that  the  north  sinned  in  again,  and  without  the 
"consent  of  the  governed"  (the  claptrap  of  the  dema- 
gogues of  the  day),  planting  the  flag  of  the  union  over 
the  stars  and  bars.  Each  side  was  right  from  its  own 
standpoint;  it  was  a  family  quarrel  in  which  the  strong- 
est conquered.  May  the  tongue  be  palsied,  and  the  hand 
withered,  which  would  again  stir  up  strife  between  the 
sections,  or  try  to  diminish  the  glory  of  either  flag,  or 
the  men  who  defended  it  while  it  waived  amid  fire  and 


298  REMINISCENCES   OF  A  MISSISSIPPIAN, 

smoke  above  the  brave  men  who  fought  or  died  beneath 
'  its  folds. 

Mr.  Davis  and  the  cause  he  loved  have  passed  away, 
and  I  leave  them  now,  firm  in  the  faith  that  some  Gibbon 
or  Macaulay,  in  a  time  to  come,  will  truly  tell  their  im- 
mortal story,  and  do  equal  justice  to  their,  brave  foes. 

In  the  fall  of  1893,  I  determined  for  business  reasons  to 
become  a  citizen  of  Coahoma  county,  and  in  1895,  to  my 
surprise  and  against  my  wish,  I  was  nominated  by  a 
Democratic  convention  to  be  one  of  the  candidates  for 
the  house  of  representatives,  and  was  elected,  and  had 
the  honor  to  serve  one  session  as  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature from  that  fine  county. 

At  the  close  of  the  session,  Governor  Mcl,aurin  ap- 
pointed me  the  circuit  judge  of  my  district.  I  had  long 
been  his  friend,  admired  his  talents  and  hoped,  which 
hope  has  been  realized,  to  see  him  in  a  position  where 
they  could  be  used  to  the  best  advantage  in  the  interest 
of  his  state  and  country.  But  one  man  in  Mississippi 
history  achieved  as  great  a  triumph  in  overcoming  oppo- 
sition to  his  ambition  to  be  a  senator  from  the  state,  and 
this  was  the  incomparable  Lamar.  That  Governor 
McL,aurin  may,  like  this  great  man,  rise  to  the  height  of 
his  great  place,  is  my  earnest  wish. 

I  held  the  office  of  circuit  judge  for  one  short  term, 
and  retired  from  it  with  the  warmest  gratitude  to  the 
great  lawyers  of  my  district,  who  gave  me  their  support 
throughout  my  term,  and  without  which  my  services 
would  have  been  useless  to  the  state  and  a  burden  to 
myself. 

A  long  knowledge  of  the  bar  as  a  citizen,  as  a  prac- 
titioner, and  as  a  judge,  has  convinced  me  that  as  a  moral 
power,  a  power  for  good  or  evil  in  a  community,  the  local 
bar  of  any  county  exerts  a  wider  and  deeper  influence 


IN    PEACE    AND    WAR.  299 

than  does  even  the  church.  I  say  this  with  all  due  rev- 
erence for  the  church,  which  is  everywhere  a  power  for 
good,  but  it  is  my  matured  conviction.  Where  the  local 
bar  is  composed  of  high-toned,  honorable  men,  who  scorn 
the  dirty  work  of  the  shyster,  public  sentiment,  public 
and  private  morals,  will  always  be  improved  and  purified. 
To  the  great  honor  of  the  bar  this  is  the  rule,  and  the 
converse  the  exception. 

Near  the  middle  of  my  term  as  circuit  judge  time 
brought  to  my  faithful  wife  and  myself  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  our  marriage,  the  12th  day  of  January, 
1898.  The  legislature  was  in  session  at  the  time  and 
did  us  the  unusual  honor,  each  house  separately,  of  pass- 
ing complimentary  resolutions  and  signing  them  with 
the  names  of  the  members  present,  and  appointed  a 
committee,  my  friends,  the  Hons.  W.  C.  Weathersby 
and  M.  L.  Franklin,  to  attend  and  present  them  to  us  at 
our  home  on  that  day.  These  will  be  souvenirs  to  be 
prized  and  preserved,  but  the  one  which  touched  us 
most  are  the  following  lines  written  by  my  friend  Colonel 
J.  L.  Power,  the  secretary  of  state,  but  forever  to  be 
known  as  the  great  philanthropist  of  the  state. 

He  has  never  been  a  rich  man,  no  great  college  bears 
his  name  to  commemorate  his  deeds,  but  thousands  have 
lived  to  bless  him,  and  when  in  the  fullness  of  time  he 
passes  away  thousands  will  mourn  the  good  man.  I  my- 
self could  tell  many  instances  of  his  unostentatious  kind- 
ness, but  this  I  know  would  be  distasteful  to  him,  and  I 
forbear. 

These  lines  were  signed  by  each  member  of  the  state 
government,  and  I  append  them  just  as  received: 


300  REMINISCENCES   OF   A    MISSISSIPPIAN, 

To  Judge  Frank  A .  Montgomery  and  Wife,  on  the 
Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  their  Marriage,  January 
the  1 2th,  A.  d.  1898: 

Accept  dear  good  friends  on  this  Jubilee  day 

The  greetings  of  those  who  have  known  you  so  well; 
May  the  joys  that  thus  far  has  brightened  your  way 

Increase  with  your  years  and  in  richness  excel. 
May  your  last  days  be  best,  and  when  they  shall  cease 

Secure  may  you  be  in  the  Good  Shepherd's  fold, 
Where  naught  can  molest,  where  you'll  find  all  is  peace, 
A  fitting  finale  to  your  wedding  of  gold. 
A.  J.  McLaurin,  Governor, 
J.  L,.  Power,  Secretary  of  State, 
W.  D.  Holder,  Auditor  Public  Accounts, 
A.  Q.  May,  State  Treasurer, 
Wiley  N.  Nash,  Attorney-General, 
Jno.  M.  Simonton,  Land  Commissioner, 
A.  A.  Kincannon,  State  Supt.  of  Ed., 
E.  W.  Brown,  Clerk  Supreme  Court, 
Helen  D.  Bell,  State  Librarian, 
Wirt  Adams,  State  Revenue  Agent. 

On  the  17th  of  February,  1898,  the  faithful  friend,  the 
loving  wife,  was  indeed  "secure  in  the  Good  Shepherd's 
fold,"  but  over  that  time  I  must  draw  a  veil. 

But  I  must  bring  these  memoirs  to  a  close.  I  am  glad 
to  have  written  them,  incomplete  as  I  know  they  are.  In 
looking  them  over  I  see  no  sentiment  I  have  expressed 
which  I  would  retract. 

If  in  the  slightest  degree  they  have  added  anything 
to  the  history  of  my  state  and  its  heroic  sons,  and  any- 
thing to  the  history  of  the  great  war  in  which  I  bore  my 
part,  I  am  satisfied. 

The  shadows  are  falling  round  me,  but  there  are  no 


IN   PEACE    AND    WAR.  301 

clouds  to  obscure  my  vision  of  the  future  of  my  country-, 
great  and  glorious  as  it  now  is,  and  becoming  more  and 
more  united  as  time  rolls  on. 

The  star  of  Mississippi  which  once  seemed  to  have 
been  quenched  in  the  blood  of  her  sons,  and  made  the 
paradise  of  slaves,  once  more  shines  with  renewed  luster 
amid  the  bright  galaxy  of  her  sisters,  and  with  them 
henceforth  "one  and  inseparable''  will  shine  on  forever! 


INDEX. 


Abolition  sentiment,  17 

Adams,  General  Wirt,  45,  84,  87. 

Adairsville,  Georgia,  162. 

Alatoona,  177. 

Alcorn  Agricultural  College,  10. 

Alcorn,  J.  L.,  228,  267,  275,  281,  283-287. 

Alleghany  College,  Meadville,  Pa.,  15. 

Ancestors,  5. 

Armageddon,  35. 

Armstrong,  General  Frank  C,  84,  150; 

letter  from  him,  182,  194,  195,  242. 
Armstrong  driven  to  Jonesboro,  200. 
Army  of  Mississippi,  39. 
Arsenal  nt  Meadville,  19. 
Arthur,  President,  296. 
Atlanta,  fall  of,  201. 

Baldwin,  author  of  Armageddon,  35. 

Battalion  organized,  53. 

Battalion  increased,  61. 

Battalion  increased  to  regiment,  72. 

Battle  ground  22d  of  July,  190. 

Battle  28th  of  July,   Lick  Skillet   road, 

192. 
Beal,  Captain,  killed,  88. 
Beasley,  Lieutenant,  killed,  72. 
Beasley,  Adjutant,  mortally  wounded, 

142. 
Benton,  Mississippi,  155. 
Beulah,  34. 
Birth  place.  4. 
Bolivar  county,  32. 
Bolivar  troop,  39. 
Bragg,  General,  73. 
Brandon,  Mississippi,  letter  home,  132. 
Brittain's  lane.  88. 
Brown,   Governor,  13. 
Brown's,  John,  raid,  33. 
Bruce,  B.  K.  279. 

Camp  meetings,  24. 

Camp,  in,  45. 

Campaign,  1875,  290;  1876,  291. 

Cartersville,  Georgia,  164. 

Cassville,  Georgia,  165. 

Catching's,  Thomas  C,  first  race  for 
congress,  33. 

Chalmers,  General,  228. 

Chamberlain,  Dr.,  president  of  Oak- 
land College,  7-9. 

Chambers,  Hal,  member  of  congress, 
81,  82. 

Charleston,  Mo.,  57. 

Chattahoochee,  181. 

Cheatem,  General  Frank,  53. 

Clark,  Charles,  12,  29,  38,  39,   43,   133. 


Clark,  Charlotte,  marriage  to  her,  20. 
Clay,   Captain,    of  Natchez    Fencibles, 

12. 
Clay,  Green,  race  for  legislature,  290. 
Clay,  Cassius  M.,  290. 
Cleburne.  General  Pat.,  197. 
Coe,  Milford,  45. 
Columbia,  Tennessee,  112. 
Columbus  occupied,  61. 
Columbus,  Mississippi,  225. 
Cotton's,  Rev.,  adventure  with  robber, 

25- 
Corinth,  battle  of,  91,  92. 
Correspondence  with  secretary  of  war, 

103,  108. 
Cosby,  General,  122,  147. 
Crawfordville,  Mississippi,  216. 
Currency  before  the  war,  32. 
Customs  of  the  times,  22. 

Davis,  General  Reuben,  137. 

Davis',  General  Joe,  place,  149. 

Davis,  Mr.  Jefferson,  9,  109,  202,  297. 

Dallas,  battle  at.  171,  172. 

Denmark,  battle  of,  86,  87. 

Dixie,  245. 

Drake,  Rev.  B.  M.,  24. 

Duffield,  General,  mustering  officer,  13. 

Dueling  an  imperious  custom,  27. 

Duncan,  Dr.,  of  Ohio,  7. 

Eads,  Captain.  295. 

Elected  to  board  of  police,  37. 

Elected  to  legislature,  293. 

Elliot,    Henry,    boy    from    New   York, 

223,  226,  236,  248,  249. 
Etowah  river,  168. 
Eutaw,  Alabama,  234. 
Execution,  military,  231. 

Fairburn,  Georgia.  203. 

Fayette,  scout  to,  and  incidents,  133. 

Fight  in   Coldwater  bottom  with  Grier- 

son,  97. 
First  fight,  67. 
Florey,  clerk,  271. 
Foote,  Henry  S.,  9. 
Forrest,  General,  112,  145,  226,  227. 

Gayden,  Frank,  57,  58. 
Goldbug,  218. 
Grampus,  60. 
Grant,  General,  »n. 
Greig,  General,  101. 
Grenada,   102. 

(303) 


3°4 


INDEX. 


Gunboats    61. 

Gunboats  and  Grampus,  63. 

Hardee,  General,  163,  202. 

Hatchie  river,  rout  federal  cavalry,  90. 

Herndon,    Lieutenant    D.    C.,    elected 

major,  61. 
Herrin,  Gadi,  60,  79;  killed,  171. 
Herrin's  Captain,  exploit,  131. 
Hickman,  Ky.,  60. 

High,  Private,  killed  by  lightning,  131. 
Hinds,  General  Thomas,  12. 
Hogg,  Colonel,  killed,  85 
Holly  Springs,  army  at,  94. 
Homicides,  rare  among  slaves,  21. 
Hood,  General,  182,  188,  201. 
Hovey,  General,  fights  with  him,  80,  81. 
Humphries,    Governor,    removed   from 

office,  268. 
Hunt,  Mr.  David,  founder  of  Oakland 

College,  7,  11. 

Indians,  26. 

Insanity       almost       unknown      among 

slaves.  21. 
Introduction,  1,  3. 

Jackson,  General  Andrew,  4,  5. 

Jackson,  General  W.  H.,  84,  164,  154; 
Id.  161,  194,  223,  232. 

Jackson  besieged,  129. 

Jackson,  driven  through,  157. 

Jones,  Jake,  112,  113. 

Johnston,  Albert  Sidney,  71. 

Johnston,  General  Joseph  E»,  163;  bat- 
tle order,  165;  removal,  182. 

Johnson,  Adjutant,  killed,  249. 

Kennedy,  Captain  T.  B.,  205. 
King's  battery,  149. 

King,  Captain,  of  Noxubee,  killed,  221. 
Kilpatrick's  raid  (General)  193. 
Kingsley,  Orrin,  killed,  221. 

Lafayette,  Ala.,  207. 

Lauderdale  Springs,  Miss.,  216. 

Levees,  33. 

Legislature  of  1870,  274,  275. 

Lexington,  Miss.,  135. 

Lee,  General  S.  D.,  143,  147,  192. 

Lincoln's   election    (President),    36;    his 

assassination,  256. 
Lindsay,  Colonel,  commands  iegiment, 

7?- 

Lovejoy  Station,  202. 

Lynch,  John  R.,  271. 

Marion,  Ala.,  236. 

Martin,  General  W.  T.,  50. 

McGehee,  Miles  H.,  38,  77. 

McMackin,  General,  hotel  keeper,  14. 

Memphis,  47,  49. 

Medon,  85. 

Mechanicsburg,  123. 

Meridian,  152. 

Militia  muster,  Meadville,  Pa.,  19. 

Militia  drills  in  Mississippi,  23. 

Mississippi,   a  nation,  39. 

Mike,  Captain,  143. 


Montgomery,  Major,  116. 
Moscow,  145. 

Moorman,  Colonel  Geo.,  154. 
Music  of  the  times,  23. 

Napoleon,  old  town,  31. 

Negroes  in  Meadville,  Pa.,  17;  in  south 

old  times,  21. 
Negro  preachers  and  fiddlers,  23. 
New  Madrid  occupied,  55. 
Newnan,  Georgia,  181. 
New  Hope  Church,  169. 
Negroes  as  jurors,  273,  277,  278. 

Oakland  College,  6,  10. 

Organization  of  regiment,  74. 

Ordered  to  Georgia,  150. 

Orders  from  General   W.    H.  Jackson, 

203,  206,  209,  210,  211. 
Orr,  Colonel,  member  congress,  229. 

Pemberton,  General,  100,  127,  129. 

Percy,  Colonel  W.  A.,  294. 

Phelan,  James  S.,  230. 

Pioneer  Methodist  preachers,  25. 

Pillow,  General  G.  J.,  46,  56. 

Pinson,  Colonel  R.   A.,  90,  146,  154,  177, 

195,  239.  242,  255,  256. 
Polk,  General,  71,  152,  176. 
Pontotoc,  143. 
Power,  Colonel  J.  L.,  299. 
Prentiss,  S.  S.,  duels  with  Mr.  Foote,  27. 

Quilting  bees,  25. 

Railroad,  one  in  state,  22. 
Ragsdale  House,  258. 
Review,  Jackson's  division,  135. 
Reconstruction,  268. 
Reign  of  carpet-bagger,  271,  274. 
Ripley,  91. 

Richland,  Miss.,  barbecue  and  flag,  138. 
Roster  of  Bolivar  troop,  47,  49. 
Ross,  Colonel,  136. 

Ross  and  Pinson  ordered  to  Tennessee 
valley,  139. 

Saunders,  Ned,  70. 

Selma,  Ala.,  237  to  242. 

Sergeant,  Federal,  243. 

Sharkey,  Judge,  130. 

Sherman,  General,  139,  14S 

Sharon,  Miss.,  153. 

Sillers,  Joseph,  116,  117. 

Sims,  Captain,  of  Texas,  205. 

Simral,  Judge  H.  F.,  267. 

Southern  society — old-time  cotton  plant- 
ers, 20. 

Spring  Hill,  112. 

Starke,  General  Peter  B.,  147. 

Stafford,  Chancellor,  281. 

Stripes  only  left  on  flag,  275. 

Star  shines  again,  301. 

Sykes,  Captain  E.  O.,  now  circuit 
judge,  103. 

Sykes,  Captain  Thos.  B.,  216. 

Sykeston,  Mo.,  56. 

Tappan,  General.  64. 


INDEX. 


305 


Taylor,  General  Dick,  128,  160,  185,  222, 
226;  his  opinion  of  Forrest. 

Taylor,  Captain  J.  R.,  222. 

Texans  on  a  spree,  213,  214. 

Thompson,  General  M.  Jeff.,  53,  75 

Trimble,  Judge,  270,  276. 

Tuscumbia,  Ala.,  140. 

Tupelo,  221. 

Tyler,  General,  West  Point,  Ga.,  206, 
207. 

Union  City,  53. 

Van  Dorn,  General,  91,  in,  112. 
Villages,  old,  4. 
Villipigue,  General,  75. 
Vicksburg,  fall  of,  126. 


Vote  of  Bolivar  county  in  1857,  37. 

War  over,  239,  260. 

Watson's  battery,  64. 

Watson,  Gus.,  64. 

Wallace,  Count,  134. 

West,  Colonel  Cato,  5. 

Wheeler,  General,  162. 

White,   Lieutenant-Colonel,  of  Indiana, 

250,  252. 
Wilson's  raid  (General),  236,  251,  253. 

Yates,  Dr.,  of  Meadville,  Pa.,  19. 

Yancey's  opinion  (Mr.),  132. 

Yazoo   Delta,  cross  in  dug-out,  114,  ne, 

\  erger,  Judge  William,  151. 


Bridgeport  National 
Bindery,  Inc. 

JAN.  2001 


